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Type of Oyster Mushroom? Maybe? 1st ID inquiry


VaAngler

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Hello and thank you for viewing this post and any help you may offer. I have been interested in learning how to identify mushrooms but have not had much luck making any positive IDs yet. So my desire to ID an edible mushroom has brought me here.

I know this isnt a Pleurotus ostreatus due to the presence of a stem and the gills not coming down the stem but, I believe it may be a variation of an oyster mushroom. It is growing directly on a tree that was cut down early this year. I am located in West Central Virginia, in the blue ridge valley. I'd love some help from more experienced enthusiasts. Thank you!

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Nice photos. The stems seem too long, caps a little too central and gills a little short running down the stem but they look some kind of oyster. It'll be interesting to read comments. I like the sunshine coming thru the caps showing the short gills.

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Looks like Maple, I first thought Pleurotus Dryinus/Pleurotus Levis but yours don't show much evidence of Veil....my phone really sucks for zooming in though. Is there a possible ring on stalk in the first pic? Kuo's description of it says it's not uncommon for the Veil and remnants to be worn away. 

P. Levis is belived by some to be more likely to have the fuzzy stem and lacking veil remnants than P.Dryinus. Google search of both returned the best pics for me.

https://www.mushroomexpert.com/pleurotus_dryinus.html

 Definitely not saying it's this but worth ruling out . 

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4 hours ago, MattVa said:

Looks like Maple, I first thought Pleurotus Dryinus/Pleurotus Levis but yours don't show much evidence of Veil....my phone really sucks for zooming in though. Is there a possible ring on stalk in the first pic? Kuo's description of it says it's not uncommon for the Veil and remnants to be worn away. 

P. Levis is belived by some to be more likely to have the fuzzy stem and lacking veil remnants than P.Dryinus. Google search of both returned the best pics for me.

https://www.mushroomexpert.com/pleurotus_dryinus.html

 Definitely not saying it's this but worth ruling out 

Certainly explains the fuzzy stem.

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15 hours ago, MattVa said:

Looks like Maple, I first thought Pleurotus Dryinus/Pleurotus Levis but yours don't show much evidence of Veil....my phone really sucks for zooming in though. Is there a possible ring on stalk in the first pic? Kuo's description of it says it's not uncommon for the Veil and remnants to be worn away. 

P. Levis is belived by some to be more likely to have the fuzzy stem and lacking veil remnants than P.Dryinus. Google search of both returned the best pics for me.

https://www.mushroomexpert.com/pleurotus_dryinus.html

 Definitely not saying it's this but worth ruling out . 

I think you may be correct with the pleurotus dryinus! I harvested one for closer inspection and I do believe there are some veil remnants, I attached more photos showing the possible veil remnants, the offset position of the stalk/stem, a better close up of the cap and what the stem looks like where it was attached to the tree. 

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The caps also have some hairs on some of the smaller examples! And one of the the larger specimens had a set of disconnected gills on the stem? I also noticed the offset stem is only extreme on one the one cap, the others were offset but not as much. And i noticed some of the white edges around the cap as in Kuo's example.

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FIRST OFF THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP!

I believe it is 100% Pleurotus Dryinus based on my interpretation of multiple descriptions, they are a bit too developed to be eaten enjoyably according to experiences I read. 

From what I have read:

-Pleurotus Dryinus is the only Pleurotus to have a veil, which deteriorates to barely visible remnants with age.

-P.D. is also known to grow out of the tops of stumps of "broad leave trees" more than other Pleurotus species as the ones I found were.

-Traces of veil remnants on the cap 

-Cap slight yellowing on edges with age 

-Hairs, also described cotton hairs, on the stem and on the cap of some specimens, the smaller younger ones had hairier caps on the ones I found

The common name is Veiled Oyster Mushroom so I was kinda remotely close on my initial guess by mostly luck lol

One source rated the taste as 3/5 and texture 2/5 and recommended it go in a dish instead of standing alone. They also mention that the texture becomes tougher/chewier with age.

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I'm a little slow making it back, I have only found it once.  It was one of those things where I snapped pics and done a ID later. Ones I found where not this fuzzy (did have some)on the stalk but they where younger and I never really considered eating them.

These look like what I had found but maybe a bit more yellow due to age. Cool find and rare for me at least!

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Nice job by everyone arriving at a consensus Id on this. I'm catching up with old posts now and just saw this one. Pleurotus dryinus is what I'd call these. The partial veil disappears and often leaves little or no evidence of a ring on the stalk. 

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Somehow I manage to fit full-time work into my schedule :-)

Of course, I spend way to much time wandering around in the woods. Lots of mushroom photos to sort through, and put names on. Eventually, I'll get back to posting stuff on Mushroom Observer.. and a few selected things here at WMH. I'm president of a local club here, Wyoming Valley Mushroom Club. We had our big annual event --Mushroom Fair-- at a local state park a bout a month ago. Last year the club decided to sponsor a facebook page which is open to the public. I've been spending a lot of time monitoring posts there. Too many people who understand how to ID a few edible types make posts that (unintentionally) trivialize wild mushroom identification. We're looking into altering the facebook page so that posts/replies/comments may be made only by dues-paying WVMC members. If this is impossible, the site will be taken down. In the meantime, this being such a locally prolific Fall season for mushrooms means there's lots to keep on top of. Then... there's the North American Mycoflora Project. Last spring I managed to get funding for DNA sequencing of 30 fungal specimens as part of WVMC's involvement in NAMP. I was the sole person actually involved in the club project, which was not a problem for me. I routinely collect/ID/preserve interesting mushrooms that are occasionally passed on the researchers. The collecting, preserving, and sampling --cutting a sliver of fresh material and placing into a vial of preservative gel-- was all completed before I returned to full time Fall Semester teaching at the community college where I work. But then I encountered a task that really took a fair amount of effort on my part. In order to have the dehydrated NAMP specimens stored at the New York Botanical Garden Steere Herbarium --the absolute "gold standard" in treatment/preservation of fungal material-- I needed to complete several very specific documentations of the material. Since I had no previous experience with such paperwork, this turned out to be a fairly frustrating activity for me. But, with the help/patience of the NYBG staff, and some really great input from a friend who also directed a NAMP project, I managed to get this all done, and the material destined for the NYBG went into the mail last Friday.

https://mushroomobserver.org/observer/observations_for_project/240

https://mushroomobserver.org/observer/observations_for_project/241

Completing some yard work this morning; clearing blackberry canes and other vegetation from the double-loop pathway through 3 acres of overgrown old farm hill. The Northern corner of the mowed upper loop is a hotspot for interesting Amanitas. From one little 4 square yard patch I have collected: Amanita minutula (provisionally described a couple years ago) https://mushroomobserver.org/322149?q=Yjr9,  Amanita cyclops (provisionally described species currently known only form my property) https://mushroomobserver.org/248445?q=Yjr9  , Amanita limbatula an uncommon species previously believed to not occur in NE PA https://mushroomobserver.org/142433?q=Yjr9 . Whenever I get the opportunity, I also like to put on my xx skis and do some laps on the paths, which is why I need to get them cleared before winter sets in. 

So, I'd better get my WMH posts made and get out there. I'd also like to do something else this afternoon.... visit a stand of Scotch pine where lots of really nice late-season mushrooms will be popping up. 

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Dave, you are certainly a busy man and a wealth of myco knowledge. That is with out a doubt a amazing undertaking described above. I know you make alot of us here feel better when you weigh in on a post.

That's really cool stuff with the NAMP project and Amanita's.. especially the A.cyclops.  Have fun out there today . I hope I can go this afternoon myself.

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