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phantelope
Stranger


Registered: 01/13/10
Posts: 5
Last seen: 14 years, 1 month
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I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they?
#11824362 - 01/13/10 07:04 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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Hi, new to this board, great resource! I found a cluster of wonderful mushrooms growing on an elm tree in my yard, where a branch used to be. I'm in the East Bay about 40 miles inland from San Francisco. We had lots of rain last night and pretty warm sunny weather today. In the past there was some woody tree fungus growing there, today I find what you see in the pictures. The largest one is about 6 inches in diameter, they have a light anise/vanilla smell. My main concern, even if these should not be oysters, are there any that look similar and will kill my family? I'd rather not do that to my kids. I'm making a spore print with a smaller one, hopefully I'll see something later tonight or tomorrow, I'm just not sure how long that takes. I'll store the rest in a paper bag in the fridge I guess.
Would be great if these were oysters, I picked the thing and it scales in at 1 lb 9 oz!
Here are the images, I hope they load ok:

Thanks so much for any help!
Oliver
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cactu
culture and magic



Registered: 03/06/06
Posts: 3,913
Loc: mexicoelcentrodelconocimi...
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824394 - 01/13/10 07:12 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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yummy
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  cuando una rafaga del pensamiento nos pasa al lado se puede sentir que valio la pena haber vivido, y cuando ese pensamiento se convierte en sueño no paramos de soñar hasta realizarlo
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist


Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,311
Last seen: 1 day, 10 hours
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824396 - 01/13/10 07:13 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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Beautiful oysters! Eat them!
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phantelope
Stranger


Registered: 01/13/10
Posts: 5
Last seen: 14 years, 1 month
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824517 - 01/13/10 07:31 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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thanks! should I hold of for the spore print or are there none that I can mix these up with? I've looked online and in my Arora books, but find nothing about bad look alikes listed anywhere. They are gorgeous!
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psylosymonreturns
aka Gym Sporrison



Registered: 10/16/09
Posts: 13,948
Loc: Mos Eisley,
Last seen: 3 years, 6 months
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824586 - 01/13/10 07:41 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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ah man that is sweet to have naturally in your yard!
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist


Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,311
Last seen: 1 day, 10 hours
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824625 - 01/13/10 07:46 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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You should make a print on some clean tinfoil and put it into a sterile bag so you can cultivate it later.
The only mushroom that I would consider a toxic lookalike is Omphalotus olivascens, it grows in the same habitat, looks way different, and has the same color spore print.
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phantelope
Stranger


Registered: 01/13/10
Posts: 5
Last seen: 14 years, 1 month
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824740 - 01/13/10 08:05 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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thanks, those Omphalotus do look way different (and not all that appetizing). Good idea with the print, I'll do that over night. Way too much to eat in one dinner anyways. I'll see if I can get some going on a piece of elm tree, sure have enough of that in the yard.
Can't believe I found these in my garden, glad the kids had a playdate and wanted to go outside today!
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didjin_d
mmm....


Registered: 11/02/04
Posts: 662
Loc: PNW
Last seen: 3 years, 7 months
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824784 - 01/13/10 08:14 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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Is the elm tree those mushrooms are fruiting on still alive? I have heard that living trees provide more nutrients leading to meatier oyster mushrooms.
Cheers, -DD
-------------------- " learning how to cook will save you money, usually make you healthier, and occasionally get you laid. " -Shags420 "Most of the people who ask the question 'Do any psilocybin mushrooms grow around here?' would rather change their way of looking at reality rather than face the difficult and discouraging task of transforming reality itself" -David Aurora, Mushrooms Demystified
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phantelope
Stranger


Registered: 01/13/10
Posts: 5
Last seen: 14 years, 1 month
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11824803 - 01/13/10 08:19 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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it's alive, but where they grow is where there used to be a branch that was cut away many years ago, now it's just old wood. The tree is not in the best shape unfortunately, summer heat and a winter storm did some damage to it.
I think I'll fry some up for dinner, if you don't hear back from me they were not what I thought they are....
Way too much to eat in one sitting, I'll put the rest in the fridge and think about something to do with them tomorrow.
Oliver
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Twiztidsage
Fungal Databaser



Registered: 12/05/08
Posts: 8,089
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 9 years, 3 months
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11825051 - 01/13/10 08:57 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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Beautiful find you lucky bastard! Enjoy your dinner...
Here is the best patch I have found this year, in a local Seattle cemetary:

And here is a large patch from last year, but the pic is a little shitty at larger resolution:
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phantelope
Stranger


Registered: 01/13/10
Posts: 5
Last seen: 14 years, 1 month
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11825147 - 01/13/10 09:11 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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gorgeous!
We obviously have just the right climate here right now, I've never seen them anywhere out here before. I live in Walnut Creek, and it's usually too dry most of the year and the majority of edible fungy don't seem to make it all the way out here.
My wife was a bit more hesitant and I had some other stuff ready for dinner already before I found them, I'm gonna look at the spore print and make them tomorrow, probably have some for lunch and then see if we can finish the rest in the evening. That gives me the chance to take some pictures with my good camera too. And hopefully we'll be able to harvest some more, before the rain stops!
Thanks all, this is a great site!
Oliver
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cyanara
jedi in training



Registered: 12/22/09
Posts: 1,205
Loc: your grow closet
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11826681 - 01/14/10 02:06 AM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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def, oysters and i would clone them, better chance at getting something viable from a clone then a print, i've found that bugs are very fond of the gills. lol
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist


Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,311
Last seen: 1 day, 10 hours
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: cyanara]
#11829850 - 01/14/10 04:56 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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I have grown oysters from prints a couple times and never had any problems. Cloning is better, of course, because you get the same strain that is fruiting.
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quadracer
Porcini Hunter



Registered: 12/14/08
Posts: 596
Loc: Here, Now
Last seen: 1 month, 7 days
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: Alan Rockefeller]
#11830484 - 01/14/10 06:39 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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I would love a spore print of those beauties! Let me know if you want to trade or something...
Nice finds!
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LowcountryHunter
Stranger


Registered: 09/03/09
Posts: 149
Last seen: 3 years, 13 days
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: quadracer]
#11830564 - 01/14/10 06:49 PM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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It looks almost as if that tree has been inoculated by dowels...?... None the less beautiful.
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2859558484
Growery is Better



Registered: 01/10/06
Posts: 8,752
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: I'm pretty sure these are Oysters, are they? [Re: phantelope]
#11833362 - 01/15/10 05:01 AM (14 years, 1 month ago) |
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jealous man
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