Pleurotus parsonsiae G. Stev. 1964

Pleurotus parsonsiae, also known as velvet oyster mushroom, is a species of edible fungus in the genus Pleurotus, endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Description

General

• The cap grows from 7 to about 12 cm, creamy fawn, darker when wet or grey yellow, darker towards margin, paler towards stipe, drying ochraceous, orbicular with margin, down-rolled at first and later splitting. It is dry, smooth, matt to finely fibrillose, hence the "velvet" common name.
• The flesh is creamy white.
• The stem is short, sometimes absent, from 8 by 8 mm., to 1 by1.5 cm.
• The gills are decurrent to deeply decurrent, creamy, moderately crowded, thin, deep, with margins becoming lacerate.
• The spore print is white, becoming creamy.^[1]

Microscopic characteristics

• The spores are around 9-11 µm by 4-4.5 µm, non-amyloid, thin-walled.^[1]

Distribution, habitat & ecology

This mushroom is saprobic on dead wood, preferring Sophora sp., Leptospermum scoparium, Eucalyptus sp., andCordyline australis. It is endemic to New Zealand.^[1] The phylogenetic research of Pleurotus genus has classified P. parsonsiae as incertae sedis with regards to clades and intersterility groups.^[2]

Human impact

This mushroom is edible and it can be cultivated. Grow kits and cultures are sold in New Zealand as an alternative to illegal invasive species of Pleurotus.^[3][4]

References