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EDIBLE AND POISONOUS MUSHROOMS OF CANADA<br />
July-Oct.<br />
In dense clusters around the base of living trees and old stumps, common.<br />
This is perhaps the only really common species of Armillaria. It is widely<br />
distributed and often occurs in considerable abundance. It is rather variable<br />
and may confuse the amateur at first, but it has a characteristic appearance that<br />
is difficult to describe though soon recognized. The colors may vary consid-<br />
erably and the annulus may be somewhat evanescent.<br />
Another feature of this fungus is the presence of tough, black strands of<br />
mycelium which may be found under the bark of the tree or stump from which<br />
it is growing. These strands, sometimes called 'shoe strings' are more properly<br />
termed rhizomorphs.<br />
The unpleasant taste of this fungus when raw disappears on cooking and<br />
the species is widely used as food. Smith recommends it as being very good but<br />
suggests that younger stages should be selected.<br />
PLEUROTUS<br />
The genus Pleurotus has been used to include those species with excentric<br />
or lateral stipes, or lacking stipes altogether, and having a white spore deposit.<br />
However, in P. sapidus the spore deposit is lilac tinged and in P. subpalmatus<br />
it is pinkish. The genus corresponds to Claudopus in the pink-spored group<br />
and Crepidotus in the brown-spored group.<br />
Most of the species occur on decaying wood and they vary in size from<br />
very minute to very large. Some species might be mistaken for Clitocybe but<br />
the most closely related forms are to be found in Panus and Lentinus. It is now<br />
generally recognized that Pleurotus, Panus, and Lentinus are all artificial genera,<br />
and modern authors tend to redistribute the species of all three among a num-<br />
ber of other genera. Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) Kummer, which may be<br />
the same as P. sapidus Kalchbr., is regarded as the type species of Pleurotus.<br />
No poisonous species are known in Pleurotus.<br />
Key<br />
1. Pileus with excentric to central stipe 2<br />
1. Pileus sessile or with lateral stipe 3<br />
2. Pileus at first whitish, becoming tan, smooth P. ulmarius<br />
2. Pileus reddish tan to pinkish, veined P. subpalmatus<br />
3. Pileus tiny, usually much less than 1 inch across 4<br />
3. Pileus larger, usually more than 1 inch across 5<br />
4. Pileus pure white P. candidissimus<br />
4. Pileus gray to blackish P. applicatus<br />
5. Pileus olivaceous to yellow-brown P. serotinus<br />
5. Pileus white or whitish 6<br />
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