What is the common name of Pleurotus ostreatus?

The common name of Pleurotus ostreatus is the oyster mushroom.

Its broad, fan-shaped cap and short, off-center stem often grow in overlapping clusters on wood, giving the fruiting bodies a resemblance to oyster shells. The scientific name also reflects these features: Pleurotus refers to the sideways or lateral stem, while ostreatus means oyster-like.

Pleurotus ostreatus is a wood-decaying fungus and an important decomposer of dead or weakened deciduous trees, especially beech. It causes white rot by breaking down lignin as well as other components of wood. In nature, it is widespread in temperate and subtropical regions, and it is also cultivated commercially around the world.

The name can cause confusion because “oyster mushroom” is sometimes used broadly for related Pleurotus species. In a strict scientific context, Pleurotus ostreatus is one particular species, often called the grey oyster mushroom. Commercial oyster mushrooms may include closely related species or cultivated strains, but the quiz’s common-name pairing is standard.