Late Oyster

(Sarcomyxa serotina)

Conservation Status
Late Oyster
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

not listed

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Late Oyster is a common, widespread, small to medium-sized, fleshy, shelf-like fungus. It is saprobic on decaying stumps and logs. It is found singly or in overlapping groups on the trunk or a large branch of a dead and decaying tree. It usually occurs on a hardwood, especially black cherry, but occasionally also on a conifer. It appears in the late fall with the onset of cold weather.

There is often no stalk. If there is a stalk it is short, 3 16 to long, thick, and laterally attached. It is yellow, brownish-white, or the same color as the cap, and is covered with velvety hairs.

The cap is kidney-shaped or semi-circular and 13 16 to 4 in diameter. The color is variable, often on the same cap. When young it is downy and often flushed with violet. As it ages it becomes hairless and olive-green to yellowish-green. Eventually it turns yellowish-olive or light brown. When wet it is somewhat slimy or sticky to the touch (viscid). The margin is rolled inward and often lobed, indented, or wavy. As it ages the margin flattens out. The flesh is thick, white, and firm, and there is a gelatinous layer just below the skin (cuticle) of the cap. It is edible but has a mediocre taste and becomes bitter as it ages.

There is no universal veil.

The gills are narrow, close together and run down the stalk if there is one (decurrent) or broadly attached (adnate). They are bright orangish-yellow, yellowish-orange with a brown tinge, pale orange, or pale yellow at first, fading with age.

The spore print is pale yellow.

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat and Hosts
 
 

Mostly dead hardwoods, especially cherry, but also dead conifers.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Season

 
 

October through December

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

 
  1/23/2023      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Widespread and common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Fungi (fungi)  
  Subkingdom Dikarya  
  Division Basidiomycota (club fungi)  
  Subdivision Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms)  
  Class Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies)  
  Subclass Agaricomycetidae  
  Order Agaricales (common gilled mushrooms and allies)  
  Suborder Pleurotineae  
  Family Sarcomyxaceae  
  Genus Sarcomyxa  
       
 

Late Oyster was formerly placed in the family Tricholomataceae and known as Sarcomyxa serotina. Tricholomataceae was a “wastebasket taxon” containing all mushrooms in the order Agaricales with white, yellow, or pink spores that have not already been classified into another family. Following a large-scale phylogenetic study of Agaricales (Moncalvo, Vilgalys, Redhead, et al., 2002), seven families were segregated from Tricholomataceae. Late Oyster Mushroom was transferred to the new family Mycenaceae with the new name Panellus serotinus. In 2019 it was transferred again, this time to the new family Sarcomyxaceae, and the old name Sarcomyxa serotina was restored. The last move was not universally accepted. Species Fungorum and GBIF use the name Sarcomyxa serotina, while MycoBank and NatureServe use the name Panellus serotinus.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Agaricus serotinus

Hohenbuehelia serotina

Panellus serotinus

Panus serotinus

Pleurotus serotinus

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Late Fall Oyster

Late Oyster

Olive Oysterling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Saprobic

A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this fungus.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption.
 
 

 

 
 

 

 
           
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Cap

 
 

The orangish-yellow area at the base of this mushroom cap was revealed after peeling off a dead leaf.

  Late Oyster  
           
           
    Late Oyster   Late Oyster  
           
 

Gills

 
    Late Oyster      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Panellus serotinus - fungi kingdom
Nineli Lishina
 
   
 
About

Published on Jan 24, 2015

Panellus serotinus - fungi kingdom

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this mammal.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

 

 
     
     
       
       
 
Other Videos
 
  Pařezník pozdní - Panellus serotinus
Jiří Laštůvka - Kudláček
 
   
 
About

Published on Dec 27, 2012

Takto tu momentálně roste Pařezník pozdní - Panellus serotinus, na několika stromech.

Google Translate: Thus there are currently growing Pařezník late - Panellus serotinus, several trees.

   
  Fall Oyster Mushrooms Identification Panellus Serotinus
chefjoshuaj
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Nov 2, 2011

Gelatinous mushroom with velvety cap! Cap 3-10 cm wide and stem .8-1.5 cm tall by .5-1 cm wide.

   
  Panellus serotinus pařezník pozdní
Karel Filip
 
   
 
About

Published on Nov 18, 2014

Vzácná jedlá houba nižší kvality vynikající však na čínu. Roste na živých i odumřelých listnatých stromech.

Google Translate: Rare edible mushroom of lower quality but at an excellent Chinese food. It grows on living and dead deciduous trees.

   
  Late Fall Oyster, Wild mushroom
RedFree100
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Nov 6, 2011

http://www.gabodabuilding.com/UnusualMushrooms.html

If you have a different thought about the type of mushroom, please comment.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this fungus.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
   

 

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

Binoculars


Last Updated:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved.