Aspen oyster mushroom

Appearance

The fruit bodies have oyster shell-shaped to fan-shaped caps that are 4–19 cm broad by 4–13 cm wide. The cap margin is initially rolled inward, becomes finely scalloped in age. The color ranges from ivory white to pinkish buff to orange-grey. The gills are somewhat decurrent, running a short ways down the stipe. They are 3–10 mm broad, white to cream in color, and have two sets of intervening lamellulae.

The spore print is buff. Spores are thin-walled with a narrowly elliptical to oblong shape, and dimensions of 9–15 by 3–5 µm. The basidia are club-shaped, four-spored, and measure 20–27 by 5–6 µm.

Distribution

''Pleurotus populinus'' fruit bodies grow singly to numerous—often arranged in overlapping clusters—on the rotting stumps, logs, and limbs of hardwoods. Preferred substrates include aspen and black cottonwood. It is found in the northern United States and Canada, and in mountainous regions of western North America. It is a common species in its range, where it fruits in June and July.

Habitat

''Pleurotus populinus'' fruit bodies grow singly to numerous—often arranged in overlapping clusters—on the rotting stumps, logs, and limbs of hardwoods. Preferred substrates include aspen and black cottonwood. It is found in the northern United States and Canada, and in mountainous regions of western North America. It is a common species in its range, where it fruits in June and July.