Pleurotus citrinopileatus

Pleurotus citrinopileatus is very closely related to P. cornucopiae of Europe, with some authors considering them to be at the rank of subspecies. ==Description==

The fruiting bodies grow in clusters of bright yellow to golden brown caps with a velvety, dry surface texture. The caps are wide. The flesh is thin and white, with a mild scent The spore print is light pink. ==Ecology==

Like other oyster mushrooms, the species is a wood-decay fungus. In the wild, it most commonly decays hardwoods such as elm. The study also found highly similar wild isolates collected from geographically distant locations, in some cases over apart. This is strong evidence to suggest that the same cultivated strain has been many times over in various parts of the U.S., as opposed to a single introduction event and subsequent spread. The mushroom is also naturalized in several African countries: Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, and Nigeria. It also occurs in the wild in some Asian countries outside its native territory: in Yemen, Korea, and India. ==Uses==

Golden oyster mushrooms are cultivated commercially, usually on a medium of grain, straw, or sawdust. Alternative substrates are pomace from grapes and olives. Pleurotus species are some of the most commonly cultivated mushrooms, particularly in China, due to their ease of cultivation and their ability to convert 100 g of organic refuse into 50-70 g of fresh mushrooms. In far eastern Russia, it is called ''il'mak'' (ильмак), is one of the most popular wild edible mushrooms. Extracts have been studied for their antihyperglycemic properties, decreasing blood sugar levels in diabetic rats. They have also been studied as a source of lipid-lowering drugs. In one study, among 11 other commonly cultivated or foraged mushroom species, P. citrinopileatus contained the second highest amount of the antioxidant and amino acid ergothioneine at 3.94 mg per gram of dry weight, and fourth highest in glutathione at 1.39 mg per gram of dry weight. Both compounds had their highest concentrations in the pileus tissue. It had the highest amount of ergothioneine among the other saprotrophs within the group. ==See also==