הזיהויים של malacothrix

This was found by Rolf Mayerhofer and Steve Fischer in the hill around Merritt. It appears to be what locals call the "lightning mushroom" or "thunder mushroom."
Spores are elliptical, about 8X4 microns, surface smooth or roughened, no visible cystidia.
Smell is sweet--identical to the smell of Pleurotus ostreatus/pulmonarius.
Gills are crowded, easily removable with a thumb push.
Flesh is dense. Pale spore print
Field pics by Steve Fischer, picked mushroom photos by David Walde, used with permission

WEW019 Was collected by Bitty Roy and Keyyana Blount on Feb 3, 2015 at Big Spires Prairie, which is a restored native prairie near Fern Ridge Reservoir, Lane County, Oregon.  The fungus is terrestrial and grass associated; the grass present was Festuca roemeri (native). This prairie had been burned a few months earlier, in the fall of 2014.  No trees were nearby.