The rare qualities of this species are stated in the descriptive heading of the genus. Its very name implies excellence. The camel is gratefully called the ship of the desert; the oyster mushroom is the shellfish of the forest. When the tender parts are dipped in egg, rolled in bread crumbs, and fried as an oyster they are not excelled by any vegetable, and are worthy of place in the daintiest menu.
P. salig´nus Schwam.—salix, willow. Pileus 2–3 in. broad, sooty ash-color or ochraceous, fleshy, compact, spongy, somewhat dimidiate, horizontal, at first pulvinate, even, at length depressed behind and here and there strigose, the incurved margin entire. Stem always short, firm, more or less tomentose. Gills horizontal, hence less manifestly decurrent, separate behind, but branched in the middle, crowded, dingy, often eroded at the edge, not glandular.
Among the larger and firmer species. Solitary, scarcely ever cespitose. It is commonly confounded with A. ostreatus, but is certainly a different species. Although the stature is in general the same, it is easily distinguished by the pileus being more compact, and more pulverulent when young, then depressed, by the gills being thinner, more crowded, somewhat branched, but not anastomosing behind, and dingy soot-color; the spores also are dingy. Stevenson.
Spores oblong or cylindrical-oblong, 8×4µ W.G.S.; 8–10×3–4µ B.
Dr. Curtis wrote of this: “Indeed I have found several persons who class this among the most palatable species. To such persons a dish of fresh mushrooms need seldom be wanting, as this one can be had every month of the year in this latitude.”
In New Jersey, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, Pa., I have found P. salignus in quantity. It has been sent to me by Dr. J.R. Weist, of Richmond, Ind., who writes, “I have eaten it with great enjoyment.”
In 1881 I found it frequently on water beeches and willows, and thoroughly tested its edible qualities. R.K. Macadam, Boston.
When young or fresh, it is quite equal to any Pleurotus. When old, as with others of the Pleuroti, it is tough. Nevertheless their margins are always edible unless decaying.
II.—Dimidia´ti.
P. petaloi´des Bull.—petal of a flower. Pileus 1–2 in. long, dingy-brown, becoming pale, dimidiate, fleshy, but in no wise compact, rather plane, somewhat spathulate, continuous with the stem and depressed behind, hence the villous down of the stem ascends to this point (the disk) of the pileus, otherwise smooth, even, margin at first involute then expanded. Stem about ½ in. long, sometimes however very short, solid, firm, compressed, channeled when larger, more or less villous, whitish. Gills decurrent, very crowded, very narrow (scarcely beyond 2 mm. broad), linear, very unequal, white then ash-color.