Pleurotus parsonsiae, also known as velvet oyster mushroom, is a species of edible fungus in the genus Pleurotus, endemic to New Zealand.
Description
General
The cap grows from 7 to about 12 cm, creamy fawn, darker when wet or grey yellow, darker towards margin, paler towards stipe, drying ochraceous, orbicular with margin, down-rolled at first and later splitting. It is dry, smooth, matt to finely fibrillose, hence the "velvet" common name. The flesh is creamy white. The stem is short, sometimes absent, from 8 by 8 mm., to 1 by1.5 cm. The gills are decurrent to deeply decurrent, creamy, moderately crowded, thin, deep, with margins becoming lacerate. The spore print is white, becoming creamy.
Microscopic characteristics
The spores are around 9-11 µm by 4-4.5 µm, non-amyloid, thin-walled.
Distribution, habitat & ecology
This mushroom is saprobic on dead wood, preferring Sophora sp., Leptospermum scoparium, Eucalyptus sp., andCordyline australis. It is endemic to New Zealand. The phylogenetic research of Pleurotus genus has classified P. parsonsiae as incertae sedis with regards to clades and intersterility groups.
Human impact
This mushroom is edible and it can be cultivated. Grow kits and cultures are sold in New Zealand as an alternative to illegal invasive species of Pleurotus.