138 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



XXL— THE OYSTER MUSHROOM. 



There is a general impression amongst novices in 

 the art of fungus eating that none of the species 

 which are found growing upon trees are good food, 

 and many of them positively deleterious. This, how- 

 ever, is too sweeping a condemnation which is not 

 borne out by fact. It is true that the most delicious 

 of edible fungi do not grow upon trees, but upon the 

 ground ; still there are several species which grow 

 habitually upon decayed wood that are not only in- 

 nocuous, but also very good for food. Some of these 

 it shall be our endeavour to describe as clearly as we 

 can, commencing with one of the largest, although, 

 perhaps, not quite the best. 



The oyster mushroom {Agariciis ostrcatus) is a very 

 common fungus on fallen trees, stumps, and standing 

 trees which have commenced decay. It is a tufted, 

 or ccespitose species, growing in dense overlapping 

 clusters of twenty or thirty individuals, so that the 

 cluster is very often a foot in diameter. The stems 

 are lateral, short, and rather thick, and the gills are 

 white. The spores also are white, and may often be 

 seen lying like hoar frost on any object which may 

 lie beneath the gills. The whole fungus is moist and 

 fleshy, soft to the touch, especially in damp weather, 



