''Sarcomyxa serotina'' is a
species of
fungus in the family
Sarcomyxaceae. Its recommended English name in the UK is olive oysterling.
In North America it is known as late fall oyster.
Fruit bodies
The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...
grow as greenish, overlapping fan- or oyster-shaped
caps on the wood of both coniferous and deciduous trees. The
gills on the underside are closely spaced, bright orange yellow, and have an
adnate
Adnate may refer to:
* Adnation, in botany, the fusion of two or more whorls of a flower
* Adnate, in mycology, a classification of lamellae (gills)
* Conjoined twins
Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are ...
attachment to the
stipe. It produces a yellow
spore print;
spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...
s are smooth,
amyloid, and measure 4–6 by 1–2
µm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
.
The species is considered to be either edible or inedible, with the taste ranging from mild to bitter. Research has revealed that two separate species exist, ''Sarcomyxa serotina'' and ''
Sarcomyxa edulis
''Sarcomyxa edulis'' is a species of fungus in the family Sarcomyxaceae. Fruit bodies grow as ochraceous to ochraceous-brown, overlapping fan- or oyster-shaped caps on the wood of deciduous trees. The gills on the underside are closely space ...
'' (unknown in Europe).
The latter is cultivated for food in China and Japan.
References
Fungi described in 1793
Fungi of Asia
Fungi of Europe
Fungi of North America
{{Agaricales-stub