Pleurocybella Porrigens, Angel Wings

Day 34: Pleurocybella porrigens (Angel Wing Fungus) was once considered to be non-poisonous. However, in 2004, it was linked to the poisoning of 59 persons in Japan, nine of whom died as a result of consuming it. It is believed that the toxin involved may be an unstable amino acid which, after a period of two weeks produced symptoms including weakness and tremors followed a week later by evidence of brain lesions, seizures and high fever. It is unknown whether exceptionally abundant amounts of the toxin were produced in response to certain climatological factors in the area at the time, or if Pleurocybella occasionally produces more simply as a matter of course. Angel Wings have a close look-alike in the edible Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom). Oysters tend to be more creamy in colour and exhibit a short stipe (stem). Once again, I would remind my readers that there's a reason our local mycological society called their annual membership dinner the "Survivors' Banquet." I fear I've probably eaten more Pleurocybella than was good for me because my mother collected them believing them to be Oysters.

Pleurocybella Porrigens

Update: Again I stand corrected (mycology is not my field). These are not Pleurotus ostreatus, but a cousin, Pleurocybella porrigens, aka "Angel Wings." Both species are considered edible, although recently some doubts have been raised about Pleurocybella.

Day 352: "A noisy noise annoys an oyster," and perhaps that's why Pleurotus ostreatus, the Oyster mushroom, hides in obscure and silent niches in our Pacific Northwest forests. It is a beautiful fungus, its shelves thin and starkly white. It is edible and fairly easy to identify, although as with any mushroom outside the "beginner" types, some extra care must be taken to be certain of the species if it is to be consumed. Your correspondent has not seen it in abundance for many years, but looks back with fondness on a time when winter snacking included "mushroom chips" dried behind a wood stove to give them a smoky flavour. Dehydrated, Oysters are paper-thin and crisp, and no, you can't eat just one! However, there were only a few at this location, and the visual treat of seeing their translucent flesh glow against backlighting far outweighed any temptation to collect them.