Crepidotus mollis

Crepidotus mollis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Crepidotaceae
Genus:	Crepidotus
Species:	C. mollis
Binomial name
Crepidotus mollis (Schaeff.) Staude

Crepidotus mollis Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex or flat
	Hymenium attachment is not applicable
	Lacks a stipe
	Spore print is brown to yellow-brown
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is unknown or inedible

Crepidotus mollis, commonly known as the peeling oysterling, soft slipper, jelly crep, or flabby crepidotus, ^[1] is a species of mushroom. It is regarded as inedible.

Description

The cap is 1–5 cm wide and kidney shaped. ^[2] The cap is white when it is young and when it gets older, it turns ochre. The flesh of the cap is white and flabby, ^[1] and can be broken easily. It has brown fibrils and scales which wear away, leaving a smooth surface. ^[2] The upper layer of the cap is elastic and can be stretched slightly at the margin. ^[3] The gills are pale brown and soft. ^[4] The spores are elliptical and smooth, ^[5] producing a brown spore print. ^[4] The stalk is rudimentary or lacking. ^[3]

The species resemble a globe in moist weather. ^[6] The species has a relative large size compared to other species in the genus Crepidotus. ^[7] The fungus Hypomyces tremellicola is a parasite that deforms this species' cap. ^[8]

Similar species

Similar species include Crepidotus applanatus , C. crocophyllus, ^{[1] [5]} and Pleurotus ostreatus . ^[2] A key distinguishing feature is the scales, which may be lost, requiring microscopy for identification. ^[9]

Habitat and distribution

The species grows in groups or overlapping tiers on hardwood. ^[1] The hardwood includes tree trunks, fallen branches, and sawdust. Rarely, the species grows on coniferous trees. ^[10] The species is widely distributed and very common. ^[1] The species can commonly be found in temperate zones of North and South America and Europe, ^[11] from July to September in the northern hemisphere. ^[12]

Edibility

The species is reportedly inedible ^{[1] [13]} and possibly poisonous. ^[14] It is also too small to consider worthwhile. ^[5] Since very little is known about the edibility of the mushrooms in the genus Crepidotus, none should be eaten. ^[10]

References

1. Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. p. 406. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
2. Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 231–232. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
3. C. Roody, William (2003). Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians. University Press of Kentucky. p. 124. ISBN   978-0-8131-9039-6.
4. "Crepidotus mollis". First Nature. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
5. Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 285. ISBN   978-0-7627-3109-1.
6. Sayer Moffatt, Will (1909). The higher Fungi of the Chicago region. The Academy. pp.  87. Crepidotus mollis.
7. Gibson, Ian. "CREPIDOTUS in the Pacific Northwest". South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
8. Mushrooms and other fungi of the midcontinental United States. University of Iowa Press. 2008. p. 71. ISBN   978-1-58729-627-7.
9. Audubon (2023). Mushrooms of North America. Knopf. p. 619. ISBN   978-0-593-31998-7.
10. Pacioni, Giovanni; Lincoff, Gary (1981). Simon and Schuster's Guide to mushrooms. Simon and Schuster. p. 290. ISBN   978-0-671-42849-5.
11. "The North American Species of Crepidotus". MykoWeb. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
12. Mushrooms of northeastern North America. Syracuse University Press. 1997. p. 114. ISBN   978-0-8156-0388-7.
13. Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America . Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. pp.  242–43. ISBN   978-1-55407-651-2.
14. "Crepidotus mollis, Peeling Oysterling, identification". first-nature.com. Retrieved 2023-10-23.

External links

• Images of Crepidotus mollis