Oyster mushroom or Scaly sawgill

Cap 5–25 cm across, rounded or ear-shaped in young mushrooms, then fan-shaped or oyster-shaped (hence the English name oyster mushroom). Surface smooth, moist, from dark gray or gray-blue in young ones to pale gray or almost white in mature ones. Margin wavy, thin.

Cap up to 13 cm, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then flattening to plano-convex. Whitish or pale brownish, with distinctive dark scales arranged in concentric rings, concentrated mostly toward the center. The margin stays inrolled for a long time.

Gills crowded, whitish or cream, running from the cap down the stem. In young mushrooms the gills are tightly packed; in old ones they spread apart. Spore print white or pale lilac.

Gills attached to the stem and often running down it. White when young, turning yellowish and darker with age, reddish brown in old specimens. Gill edges are toothed and uneven (a typical feature of the genus).

Stem 1–5 cm tall (or almost absent in side-attached mushrooms), 1–2.5 cm thick, firm, off-center or lateral, white or slightly gray. No ring and no volva.

Stem up to 12 cm tall, 1–2 cm thick, cylindrical. White, with distinctive dark scales below the ring. Creamy white and smooth at the top. The ring is membranous and white, and often disappears in mature specimens.

Flesh white, firm in young mushrooms, more fibrous and tough in mature ones — especially in the stem. Taste mild, slightly anise-like. Soaks up flavors well during cooking.

Flesh white, springy when young, becoming very tough and leathery with age, right up to the fibrousness of old wood. Does not change color when cut. In old specimens the texture is hopeless for cooking.

Smell pleasant, anise-mushroomy, subtle. Fresh oyster mushrooms smell soft and unobtrusive. When fried, the aroma becomes stronger and closer to the classic mushroom smell.

Smell faintly of anise, stronger in young mushrooms, almost gone in old ones. Taste mild when young; bland in old ones, sometimes a little “woody”.