Today is the first Monday of the month and that was meant to be mushroom Monday, unfortunately I suck at blogging so I have neglected you all, leaving you in what I am sure has been utter despair. Luckily I have the perfect oportunity to pick things back up today; for not only is it the first Monday of the month, but the first Monday of a brand new year! Talk about the perfect chance to start anew. So without further ado:
This month I bring you Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom.
 |
| Plerutus ostreatus, the Oyster Mushroom |
This famously edible mushroom is saprobic, growing in large shelf-like clusters on the sides of trees and dead logs. If they have much of a stem it is generally rudimentary with white gills running down it. The cap, ranging from a light pale to a dark brown, starts as a convex kidney or fan shape but flattens or even becomes slightly depressed as the mushroom ages. It's thick white flesh has a distinct aroma with a mild and pleasant flavor that leads to its popularity as an edible.
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Fungi:
Phylum: Basidomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agarcales
Family: Pleurotaceae
Genus: Pleurotus
Species: P. ostreatus
Further Readings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurotus_ostreatus, http://www.mushroomexpert.com/pleurotus_ostreatus.html
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pleurotus_ostreatus_-_Pleurote_en_hu%C3%AEtre_cropped.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment