Oyster mushroom or Angel wings
Pleurotus ostreatus · Pleurocybella porrigens
An unidentified compound affecting the brain, likely an amino acid
Regarded as edible for decades until an outbreak in Japan in 2004 caused encephalopathy and seizures, with seventeen deaths. Nearly all those affected had existing kidney disease. It has been treated as a mushroom to avoid ever since.
Check in this order
Most decisive first
| Feature | Oyster mushroom | Angel wings |
|---|---|---|
| 01The wood it grows on | Hardwood: beech, poplar, willow, elm. | CONIFER. Almost exclusively, and usually well-rotted spruce or fir. |
| 02Thickness | Fleshy and substantial, several millimetres thick. | Thin, delicate and almost translucent at the margin. |
| 03Colour | Grey, tan, buff or brown. | Pure white throughout, staying white. |
| 04Spore print | White with a lilac-grey cast. | White. |
Where people go wrong
This one is a lesson about field guides rather than about mushrooms. Books printed before 2004 list angel wings as a good edible, and those books are still on shelves and still being quoted online. Learn oysters on hardwood and the question never arises.
This page tells you what to check. It does not tell you the mushroom in your hand is safe, and it cannot. If you are not certain, do not eat it, and if you have already eaten something and feel unwell, contact a poison centre immediately and keep an uncooked specimen for identification.
Other pairs