Oyster LignoTrich Subtribe
Key to Gilled Mushrooms Key
This is a key to gilled
mushrooms
, that is,
mushrooms
having a definite
cap
with a
fertile surface
consisting of
gills
. The
fruiting body
usually also has a
stem
, although that may be
lateral
or absent (usually, then, the
mushroom
is growing from wood). You can use this key to identify
mushrooms
that you find.
Agaricales Order
Fruiting body
containing fibers (usually in the stalk)
White Spored Suborder
Spore print
"light-colored": white or buff, sometimes tinged with pink or tan. Greenish and (except for the
Russulales
) yellow
spore prints
also go here
Stalk fibrous, not fracturing like a piece of chalk
Tricholomataceae Family
None of the special features distinguishing the other white-spored
genera
:
Gills
not
free
, as in the
Lepiota
s and
Amanita
s
Basidia
not extra-long, as in the
Hygrophoraceae
Spores
smooth, except for
Lentinellus
Lignicolous Trich Subfamily
Growing on trees or dead wood, leaves, or sticks, or organic debris, often in
moss
Tough LignoTrich Tribe
Assume a
lateral
stem
, unless otherwise noted in the
diagnoses
below
If laterally stemmed, then
gills
strongly
decurrent
Oyster LignoTrich Subtribe
Diagnosis
Cap
always smooth (perhaps thinly,
minutely
furry
), never scaly or thickly or coarsely hairy
Gills
white to buff, though perhaps discoloring yellow (along with
cap
) in age, unless covered by a veil
Growing on wood
Narrow down your identification:
Cheimophyllum
Genus
Cap
white, up to 3/4" across
Sometimes with very stubby stalk, sometimes
sessile
with a single attachment point
Hohenbuehlia
Genus
Flesh
somewhat rubbery or gelatinous
Hypsiszygus
Genus
Stalk central, well-defined, up to 8 1/2" long
Causes a brown rot
Pleurocybella
Genus
Cap
always white
Flesh
thin, not exactly fragile, but very easy to pull apart, never yellowing in age like
Pleurotus
species
Spores
always less than 8 µm the long way,
inamyloid
, acyanophilic
Pleurotus
Genus
Cap
fleshy, firm to tough, fairly large (typically over 3" at maturity); sometimes white but often some shade of brown or grey
Flesh
(especially
gills
) often yellowing as it dries out (see second picture)
Causes a white rot
Lookalikes:
Panus strigosus
Cap
commonly up to 16" across; white to buff at first, with some coarse hairs
Entire
fruiting body
aging yellow
Usually in wounds of living hardwoods
Panellus serotinus
Cap
up to 4" across, fan- or kidney-shaped,
margin
incurved
; dark yellowish green, often with brown and purple tones
Spore print
yellowish
Glossary
Mushrooms
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