Lentinus levis is a species of fungus in the family Polyporaceae. It can be found in subtropical to tropical climates in North America and is Edible mushroom.
Taxonomy
It was described by Miles Joseph Berkeley and Moses Ashley Curtis in 1853 and given its current name in 1915 by
William Murrill.
For a long time thought to be a member of Pleurotus genus, it has been moved to genus Lentinus.
Description
The whitish cap of the
agaric is wide, with decurrent gills and a fairly central stem up to long and thick.
It has a mild to sweet smell and the
spore print is white.
Similar species
Pleurotus dryinus has similar fruiting bodies with a smoother cap and a more persistent
partial veil.
has a similar floral odor.
Distribution and habitat
In nature the species grows in subtropical to tropical climates
on dead
hardwood. In North America, it can be found in the
Mountain states and further east from June to October.
Uses
The mushroom is
edible mushroom.
As a saprotroph, it can be cultivated.
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