Description
Pleurotus citrinopileatus, the golden oyster mushroom (tamogitake in Japanese), is an edible gilled fungus. Native to eastern Russia, northern China, and Japan, the golden oyster mushroom is very closely related to P. cornucopiae of Europe, with some authors considering them to be at the rank of subspecies. In far eastern Russia, P. citrinopileatus, they are called iI’mak, is one of the most popular wild edible mushrooms.
The fruiting bodies of P. citrinopileatus grow in clusters of bright yellow to golden brown caps with a velvety, dry surface texture. Caps range from 20–65 millimetres (3⁄4–2+1⁄2 inches) in diameter. The flesh is thin and white, with a mild taste and without a strong smell. Stems are cylindrical, white in color, often curved or bent, and about 20–50 mm (3⁄4–2 in) long and 2–8 mm (1⁄16–5⁄16 in) in diameter. The gills are white, closely spaced, and run down the stem.
