A small, rubbery, brownish mushroom with a shoehorn- or funnel-shaped cap and crowded decurrent gills. It is usually terrestrial near woody debris, in gardens, lawns, parks and woods, and sometimes grows on stumps. Like other Pleurotaceae it is nematophagous.
Reputedly edible but not choice; the flesh is tough and rubbery. Edibility is poorly documented. Make sure of the identification, since similar small brown fan-shaped fungi (Crepidotus, Lentinellus) are not food.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Help build this page
This page grows with the community. Here is what it is still missing:
Photos. None yet — moderators review each photo before it appears.Sign in to add a photo
Sightings. Spotted it in the wild? Add it to the map.Open the map
Strains. No public strains of this species on WeMush yet.
Track Your Own Shoehorn Oyster, Leaflike Oyster Grows
Join WeMush to log cultivation data, discover strains, and connect with fellow growers.
Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
Habitat
Saprobic; alone, in groups or in clusters on the ground near woody debris, sometimes on stumps; frequent in gardens, parks, lawns, potted plants and cultivated soil as well as woods. Summer and fall; over winter in warm climates.
Distribution
Considered cosmopolitan; widely distributed in North America and reported from Venezuela, Europe, Japan and New Zealand.
Characteristics
Cap: 3-10 cm; shoehorn-shaped or rolled into a funnel, sometimes fan-shaped and lobed; sticky to moist; dark brown to grayish brown, fading to pale yellowish brown or beige, often darker at the center; gelatinous layer under the cuticle. Gills: deeply decurrent, crowded, narrow, whitish becoming dull yellowish. Stem: short, 1-3 cm, continuous with the cap, often off-center; white mycelium at the base. Flesh: whitish, rubbery. Odor and taste: mealy. Spore print: white. Spores: 5-9 (-10) x 3-4.5 µm, ellipsoid, smooth, inamyloid.
