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Orange oyster mushroom belongs to the family Ryadovkovye, genus Phillotopsis. Other names - Phyllotopsis nest / nest. It is a sessile, stemless fungus that grows in trees. The Latin name for orange oyster mushroom is phyllotopsis nidulans.
Where does orange oyster mushroom grow?
The fungus is quite rare. Distributed in the temperate climatic zone of North America and Europe, including Russia. It settles on stumps, deadwood, branches of trees - both deciduous and coniferous. Grows in small groups, sometimes singly. Fruiting in autumn (September-November), in warmer climates and in winter.
What does orange oyster mushroom look like?
It differs from other oyster mushrooms in noticeable beautiful fruiting bodies with a bright color.
The cap is 2 to 8 cm in diameter. It is flat-convex, fan-shaped, pubescent, and grows to the trunk sideways or apex. In young specimens, the edge is tucked up, in old specimens it is lowered, sometimes wavy. The color is orange or orange-yellow, darker in the middle, with concentric, rather blurred banding. The surface is smooth. Mushrooms that survived the winter look faded.
The flesh is light orange in color, rather thin, dense, rather tough.
The spore-bearing layer consists of frequent, wide orange or dark orange plates that diverge from the base. The powder is pale pink or brownish pinkish. Spores are smooth, oblong, elliptical in shape.
The nest-like phyllotopsis does not have a leg.
Phyllotopsis nesting in the spring forest
Is it possible to eat phyllotopsis nesting
It belongs to conditionally edible, but is practically not eaten due to its hardness, bad smell and unpleasant bitter taste. Some mushroom pickers believe that young specimens are quite suitable for use in cooking. It belongs to the fourth flavor category.
Flavoring characteristics depend on the substrate and age. The smell is described as strong, fruity or melon to rot. The taste of the young is mild, the mature is putrid.
False doubles
Despite the fact that orange oyster mushrooms are difficult to confuse with other mushrooms, there are several similar species.
Tapinella panusoid. The main difference is that the fruit body is brownish or brownish. The pulp is rather thick, yellowish-creamy or light brown, darkens on the cut, smells like resin or needles. The size of the cap is from 2 to 12 cm, the surface is velvety, light ocher, yellow-brown, the edge is wavy, toothed, uneven. Its shape is lingual, lozenge-shaped, dome-shaped, fan-shaped. The plates are frequent, narrow, creamy, brownish-orange or yellow-orange. Most specimens lack a stem, but some have it, short and thickened. The fungus is often found on the territory of Russia. It is inedible, weakly poisonous.
Tapinella panus is easily distinguished by the color of the fruiting body and the thickness of the flesh.
Phillotopsis is weakly nesting. In these mushrooms, the color of the fruit bodies is brighter, the flesh is thinner, the plates are sparse and narrow.
Grows in smaller groups, belongs to inedible species
Crepidote saffron-lamellar. It differs from oyster mushroom orange brownish scales on the surface of the fruiting body. An inedible mushroom with a sessile cap without a leg is attached to the place of growth by the tip or lateral edge. The pulp is odorless, thin, white. A hat with a wrapped straight edge, its size is from 1 to 5 cm, the shape is semicircular, kidney-shaped. Its light skin is covered with small scales of light brown or yellowish orange color. The plates are frequent, narrow, radially diverging, pale orange, yellow, apricot, with a lighter edge. It grows on the remains of deciduous trees (linden, oak, beech, maple, poplar). Found in Europe, Asia, Central and North America.
Crepidote saffron-lamellar give out noticeable brownish scales
Phyllotopsis nesting a little resembles late oyster mushroom, or alder. The difference is in the presence of the short leg and the color of the cap. It can be greenish-brown, olive-yellow, olive, gray-lilac, pearl. The mushroom is conditionally edible, requires mandatory heat treatment.
Late oyster mushroom is distinguished by a layer of pulp under the skin of the cap, resembling gelatin
Collection rules and use
Experienced mushroom pickers recommend picking only young specimens that are not yet too tough and have not acquired an unpleasant smell and taste. Harvesting begins in early autumn and can continue even during the cold season. It is very easy to look for orange oyster mushrooms - they can be seen from afar, especially in winter.
Conclusion
Orange oyster mushroom is rarely eaten. One of the most beautiful mushrooms can be used in landscaping, yard or garden decoration. To do this, it is necessary to bring mycelium onto tree trunks and stumps. They look especially impressive in winter.
