Pleurotus.
Fungi > Division Basidiomycota > Class Agaricomycetes > Order Agaricales > Family Pleurotaceae.
A genus of wood growing, gilled mushrooms many of which are edible and sold as Oyster mushrooms.
They may have no stalk with a laterally attached fan-shaped cap.
When there is a stalk it is off-centre and the gills run down onto it.
Spore prints are white.
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Pleurotis ostreatus.
The Oyster mushroom has a white or pale brown cap with a typically off-centre stalk.
Caps, up to 3 cm across are smooth with the edge rolled under on young specimens.
Gills are white and when there is a stalk they run down onto it.
Any stem is short, thick and smooth.
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Pleurotus eryngii.
The King oyster mushroom is very similar to P. ostreatus except that it is much larger.
The thick bare stem up to 10 cm high has a cap up to 12 cm across.
The young convex cap flattens as it grows.
When mature the cap edges roll under giving the mushroom a funnel-shape.
Under the cap, and running onto the stem are the gills.
Gills are a mix of long (sometimes forked) and short ones.
J.F.
