The golden oyster, a wood-decay fungus in the Pleurotaceae that forms dense clusters of bright yellow caps on hardwoods. Native to eastern Russia, northern China and Japan, it is widely cultivated and has escaped cultivation in North America, where its range expansion now marks it as invasive. It is closely related to the European P. cornucopiae, and some authors treat it as a variety or subspecies of that species.
Edible and widely cultivated; a popular wild edible in far-eastern Russia. Its bright yellow clustered caps and decurrent gills make it distinctive. Fruit bodies are fragile and keep only briefly.
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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 Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.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
Saprotrophic white-rot fungus on dead hardwoods, most often elm; also oak, beech and other hardwoods in North America.
Distribution
Native to eastern Russia, northern China and Japan. Naturalized and spreading in the United States since at least 2012 (Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin); also reported outside its native range in parts of Africa, Korea, India and Yemen.
Characteristics
Cap: 2-10 cm; bright yellow to golden brown, dry, velvety; becoming funnel-shaped. Gills: white, close, running down the stem. Stem: white, cylindrical, often curved, 2-5 cm long and 2-8 mm thick; stems fused at the base in clusters. Flesh: thin, white. Spore print: light pink. Spores: cylindrical to elliptical, smooth, hyaline, 6-9 x 2-3.5 um. Odor/taste: mild.
