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The Classification of the Oyster Mushroom

Oyster mushrooms are a common North American variety known for their distinctive, unusual odor and mild taste, muted color and eponymous oyster-like appearance. They grow on living or dead wood, causing white rot, in groups resembling shelves. Oyster mushrooms are relatively large for mushrooms and come in three different distinct species.

Species
- Several closely related species of mushroom are commonly known as oyster mushrooms: Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus pulmonaris and Pleurotus populinus. These three types are similar in many respects but are different enough to be classified as different species. Mating experiments and DNA analysis demonstrate these differences in the laboratory, while morphological and ecological differences are also apparent in the field.
Pleurotus ostreatus
- Pleurotus ostreatus grows mostly on hardwoods but also occasionally on conifers throughout North America and is common in fall, winter and the early part of spring. This species grows to be 4 to 15 cm in width, with roughly kidney-shaped caps and a pale to dark brown color. Spores tend to be white, gray or lilac in color.
Pleurotus pulmonaris
- This species favors hardwoods and is also found throughout North America, but it prefers warmer weather than Pleurotus ostreatus, being common in summer but still continuing into fall and winter. Width is 2 to 12 cm, and caps are more lung-shaped and are white to beige in color. Spores are also white, gray or lilac.
Pleurotus populinus
- Pleurotus populinus is confined to the wood of aspen and cottonwood trees, especially quaking aspens. This species is common in spring, summer and fall and prefers northern and mountainous areas of North America. Pleurotus populinus grows to be 2 to 15 cm wide, with white to pinkish gray to pale tan coloration and white spores.

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