The Oyster Mushroom ( Jamur Tiram Putih )

(Original Source : Wikipedia Encyclopedia, Photo Source : Private Photo & carasendiri.blogspot.com)

The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus) is one of the more commonly sought wild mushrooms, though it can also be cultivated on straw and other media. It often has the scent of anise due to the presence of benzaldehyde (which, however, smells more like almonds). The standard oyster mushroom can grow in many places, but some other related species, such as the branched oyster mushroom, grow only on trees.
The mushroom has a broad, fan or oyster-shaped cap spanning 5–25 cm; natural specimens range from white to gray or tan to dark-brown; the margin is inrolled when young, and is smooth and often somewhat lobed or wavy. The flesh is white, firm, and varies in thickness due to stipe arrangement. The gills of the mushroom are white to cream, and descend on the stalk if present. If so, the stipe is off-center with a lateral attachment to wood. The spore print of the mushroom is white to lilac-gray, and best viewed on dark background. The mushroom's stipe is often absent. When present, it is short and thick.

The oyster mushroom is widespread in many temperate and subtropical forests throughout the world. The oyster mushroom is one of the few known carnivorous mushrooms. Its mycelia can kill and digest nematodes, which is believed to be a way in which the mushroom obtains nitrogen. While this mushroom is often seen growing on dying hardwood trees, it only appears to be acting parasitically. As the tree dies of other causes, P. ostreatus grows on the rapidly increasing mass of dead and dying wood. They actually benefit the forest by decomposing the dead wood, returning vital elements and minerals to the ecosystem in a form usable to other plants and organisms.