THE WHITE-SPORED AGARICS 



155 



Gills broad, decurrent, subdistant, branching at the base, white or whitish. 

 The stem when present is very short, firm, lateral, sometimes rough with stiff 

 hair, hairy at the base. Spores oblong, white, .0003 to> .0004 inch long, .00016 inch 

 broad. 



This is one of our most abundant mushrooms, and the easiest for the beginner 

 to identify. In Figures 116 and 117, you will see the plant growing in imbricated 

 form apparently without any stem. In Figure 118 is a variety that has a pro- 

 nounced stem, showing how the stems grow together at the base, the slight 

 grooving on the stems, also the decurrent gills. In most of these plants the 

 stems are plainly lateral, but a few will appear to be central. It will be difficult 



Figure i i 8. Pleurotus ostreatus. One-half natural size, showing gills and stems. 



to distinguish it from the Sapid mushroom and for table purposes there is little 

 need to separate them. In Ohio the Oyster mushroom is very common every- 

 where. I have seen trees sixty to seventy feet high simply loaded with this 

 mushroom. If one will locate a few logs or stumps upon which the Oyster 

 mushroom grows, he can find there an abundant supply (when conditions are 



