Edible mushroom - novice Season - summer to autumn Common names Branched oyster, branching oyster
Scientific name meaning: The genus name comes from the Greek Pleura, meaning a rib or the side, and in reference to how the stem is at the side of the mushroom. Cornucopiae is from the Latin Cornu, meaning a horn, in reference to this mushroom's shape
Habitat  The branched oyster is a saprobe and grows on the wood of dead or dying deciduous trees, especially elm or beech. |
Overall structure and growth  Fruiting in large numbers, the branched oyster is so named because many fruit bodies are branched from one stem. The overall shape is similar to a funnel. |
Cap  The smooth cap is between 5 and 15cm across and can be cream coloured to light grey-brown. It usually ages to a pale cream. As the fruit matures, the cap forms a deep depression, like a funnel. |
Gills and spores  The crowded gills start off white to cream, sometimes a little pinkish, turning darker cream with age. They are deeply decurrent - running right down the stem. The spore colour is white to pale cream. |
Stem  The stem is more central than in other oyster mushrooms and is up to 5cm long. It is 1 to 2.5cm wide. The stems of many fruits meet at their bases, branching off from a common stem. |
Flesh, smell and taste  The flesh is white to pale cream. The smell is pleasant and mushroomy, sometimes with a hint of aniseed. The taste is mild. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with other edible oyster mushrooms, such as the grey oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus), pictured. Poisonous oysterlings have caps that will not reach 10cm in size, save for one but this has lilac then brown gills. The central depression will eliminate the suspect angels' wings (Pleurocybella porrigens), which only grows on coniferous wood. |
Use as a food A good tasting mushroom that works well in soups, stews and other mushroom dishes Hazards None known
Use in herbal medicine and medicine The branched oyster is currently being researched into its use in cases of hypertension
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Provides food for a the larvae of a number of fly species
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
Kommentare