Pleurotus

From Palaeos

Parent taxa: Homobasidiomycetes, agaricoid clade

Description (from Illinois Mycological Association): Lignicolous mushrooms with a lateral stem. Cap smooth, may be white, brown or grey. Gills strongly decurrent, white to buff, often yellowing when dry. Mycelia cause a white rot.

Comments: These are the oyster mushrooms, including the widely eaten species Pleurotus ostreatus.

Etymology: pleuros = "ribs", otus = "ear", thus, Pleurotus = "Rib Ear"

Phylogeny

<==Pleurotus
   |--P. purpureoolivaceus
   `--+--P. tuberregium
      `--+--+--P. dryinus
         |  `--P. smithii
         `--+--P. cystidiosus
            `--+--+--P. cornucopiae
               |  `--+--P. calyptratus
               |     `--P. djamor
               `--+--+--P. abieticola
                  |  `--P. populinus
                  `--+--P. pulmonarius
                     `--+--P. ostreatus
                        `--+--P. eryngii
                           `--P. fossulatus

References

Hibbett, D. S., & M. Binder. 2002. Evolution of complex fruiting-body morphologies in homobasidiomycetes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 269: 1963-1969.

Credits

CKT070720; phylogeny CKT061025