Fungus · GBIF taxon 2526548
Pleurotus pulmonarius
pleurotus pulmonariusAlso known as Indian Oyster, Italian Oyster, Phoenix Mushroom, Lung Oyster
Phoenix mushrooms grow in shelf-like clusters on decaying hardwood logs, featuring pale white to light brown caps with off-center stems. They play a vital role in forest ecosystems by decomposing lignin and cellulose, recycling nutrients back into the soil. Unlike their cold-weather relative the pearl oyster, these fungi thrive during the warm months of summer and early autumn.
SaprophyticSummer-FruitingWood-Decayer
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decaying Wood
- Nematodes
Predators
- Fungus Gnats
- Beetles
- Slugs
ThreatsDeforestation and intensive forestry practices that remove dead wood
HabitatsDeciduous and mixed forests, growing on dead or dying hardwood trees
Life spanMycelium can live for decades; individual fruiting bodies last 1 to 2 weeks
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAgaricales
- FamilyPleurotaceae
- GenusPleurotus
- Speciespleurotus pulmonarius
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Spore Print: Collect a spore print on dark paper to observe the white to lilac-grey spore deposit.
- Substrate Check: Look for them on decaying hardwoods, especially birch, beech, and maple during warm, humid periods.
- Microscopic View: Examine the gill edges under a microscope to see the characteristic cheilocystidia.
Look-Alike no rights reserved, uploaded by Thomas · cc0
Toxic Look-Alike (c) Nathan Wilson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative voir ci-dessous / see below / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
Close Relative (c) aarongunnar, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by aarongunnar · cc-by
Close Relative (c) B. Phalan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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