Split gills

Description:

A couple of small clusters of these on a medium sized eucalyptus log. Each cluster was about 70mm wide. The dry conditions may have contributed to the concentric discolorations. Classic Split-Gills underneath.

Habitat:

Medium sized suburban nature reserve.

Notes:

"The world's most widely distributed mushroom, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. 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. The gills, which produce basidiospores on their surface split when the mushroom dries out, earning this mushroom the common name Split Gill. It has more than 28,000 sexes. " - Wikipedia http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Fung... The big risk to humans is in breathing the spores. Cases have been known where the fungus begins to grow within airways ultimately damaging the brain.