Split Gill Fungus

Description:

Schizophyllum commune is a very common species of mushroom in the genus Schizophyllum. It is the world's most widely distributed mushroom, occurring on every continent except Antarctica.

Habitat:

Often seen on sickly hardwood trees, but equally common on dead wood including cut timber, the Split Gill fungus usually grows as a sessile bracket. On the undersides of branches, however, it more often forms centrally-attached circular fans

Notes:

Although European and US guidebooks list it as inedible, this is apparently due to differing standards of taste rather than known toxicity, being regarded with little culinary interest due to its tough texture. S. commune is, in fact, edible and widely consumed in Mexico and elsewhere in the tropics. And in North-East India, the state Manipur called it as "Kanglayen" and its one of the favourite ingredients for Manipuri-Pancake Style called Paaknam. The authors explain the preference for tough, rubbery mushrooms in the tropics as a consequence of the fact that tender, fleshy mushrooms quickly rot in the hot humid conditions there, making their marketing problematic.