Species details

Elastic oysterling

Panellus mitis

Inedible
Elastic oysterling – Panellus mitis

Photo: Eugene Popov · CC BY 4.0 · Photo source · License

Description

A small white shell-shaped wood fungus with a slimy cap, white gills and short lateral stem, mainly on conifer wood.

Identification features

Cap only 0.5–2 cm wide, white to pale ochre, smooth and slimy. Gills are white; the stem is short, lateral and white-floccose.

Identification checklist

Check the small size, white to pale-ochre slimy cap, short lateral stem and growth on conifer wood.

Detailed features

Cap
Cap only 0.5–2 cm wide, white to pale ochre, smooth and slimy.
Hymenophore
The gills are white; the stem is short, lateral and white-floccose.
Stem
Gills are white; the stem is short, lateral and white-floccose.

Size

Cap diameter
0,5–2 cm

Habitat

Grows on dry and dead conifer branches, especially spruce and pine, mainly in autumn and during winter thaws.

Fruiting period

October, November, December, January, February, March

Ecology

Host trees
Spruce (Picea), Pine (Pinus)
Notes
Grows on dry and dead conifer branches, especially spruce and pine, mainly in autumn and during winter thaws.

How to separate similar species

Panellus stipticus is more ochre to brownish and differently shaped. Pleurocybella porrigens is larger and nearly stalkless.

Similar species

Extended-description sources