Unexpected late find. Help appreciated

[Deborah]

Found this cluster growing out of/attached to a live pine root on surface of forest floor. Forest nearly all pine. First thought was some kind of Pleurotus, but they were very tenaciously attached and rubbery feeling. One with off-centre stipe, others more central. White gills. Cap lilac greyish. Slight fruity smell (reminiscent of Lepista). Have put the two examples to spore print, but they are very wet so perhaps may not be successful. Any help welcome! Thanks.

[Deborah]

Update: a lilac/white spore print…So am I actually looking at Pleurotus/Oyster mushroom on living pine root?

[Lancashire Lad]

Hi,

It’s not unheard of for Pleurotus to be seen growing on live wood. – Although it would usually be the case that such wood was unhealthy/dying. – And it does grow on both hardwoods and conifer, so being found on pine wouldn’t be too unusual.

In this case, are they actually on a live root though?

The wood they are on is decorticated (bark-less), and looks as though it might be just laying directly beside the root that can be seen just above it at the very top of the photo, and which is complete with its bark?

The stems on these are slightly more towards the cap centres than most examples, but probably due to their specific growing location near to the ground and (apparently, growing from the upper part of the wood that’s in view.

The very small “caespitose” (tufted) fruitbodies beginning to grow from the basal stem area of the larger one are also very typical, so I think I’d still be erring towards P.ostreatus for this.

Regards,

Mike.

[Deborah]

Thanks very much for that.

For such a common fungus this is only the first time in 15 years that I have seen it here in Brittany.

It was a relatively common find for me in the UK.

I will look again at the bark-less ‘live root’ the next time I’m there.

[Author]

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