Split Gill

Description:

Scientific name: Schizophyllum commune Fries Derivation of name: Commun- means "common" or "in common" referring to the commonness of this species, found on every continent. Synonyms: Common name(s): Common split gill; Split gill. Phylum: Basidiomycota Order: Agaricales Family: Schizophyllaceae Occurrence on wood substrate: Saprobic; solitary, scattered or in overlapping clusters on decaying hardwoods; year-round. Dimensions: Caps 1-4.5 cm wide. Cap: White to gray; dry; densely hairy; fan to shell-shaped in lateral attachment, saucer-shaped when centrally attached. Gills: Gill-like folds are white to gray or pinkish-gray; hairy; split lengthwise. Spore print: White. Stipe: Absent or simply a narrow extension of the cap. Veil: Absent. Edibility: Inedible. Comments: The fruit body can be described as a compound structure consisting of compressed radiate cupules. What appear to be gills are the margins of two adjacent cupules with proliferating marginal tissue makng it appear that the "gill" is split ( http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wo... )

Habitat:

location: North America, Europe edibility: Inedible fungus colour: Grey to beige normal size: Less than 5cm cap type: Other stem type: Lateral, rudimentary or absent spore colour: White, cream or yellowish habitat: Grows on wood Schizophyllum commune Fr. Gemeiner Spaltblättling Schizophylle commun Split-gill or Common Porecrust. Cap 1–4cm across, fan-shaped, often lobed or fused with others, sessile or on a short stem-like base, densely covered in greyish-white down with a purplish tinge. Gills radiating from the point of attachment, splitting lengthwise and rolling back covering the space between the gills, and protecting the hymenium from desiccation. Spore print white. Spores cylindric, 6 x 3um. Habitat on dead wood of deciduous trees and also on cut timber. Season all year. Uncommon. Not edible. Distribution, America and Europe. ( http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/D... )

Notes:

Schizophyllum commune is easily recognized. Its tiny fruiting bodies lack stems, and they attach themselves like tiny bracket fungi on the dead wood of deciduous trees. Unlike a bracket fungus, however, Schizophyllum commune has what appear to be gills on its underside, rather than pores or a simple, flat surface. On close inspection the "gills" turn out to be merely folds in the undersurface--and they are very distinctively "split" or "doubled" (enlarge the illustrations). Description: Ecology: Saprobic on dead wood or occasionally parasitic on living wood; growing alone or, more frequently, gregariously to clustered; on decaying hardwood sticks and logs (even on planks and boards); year-round (it survives by shriveling up and waiting for more moisture); widely distributed in North America and throughout the world. Fruiting Body: 1-5 cm wide; fan-shaped when attached to the side of the log; irregular to shell-shaped when attached above or below; upper surface covered with small hairs, dry, white to grayish or tan; under surface composed of gill-like folds that are split down the middle (see illustrations), whitish to grayish; without a stem; flesh tough, leathery, pallid ( http://www.mushroomexpert.com/schizophyl... ), ( http://www.mycobank.org/Biolomics.aspx?T... )