Crepidotus calolepis

Crepidotus calolepis

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Inocybaceae

Crepidotus calolepis, is an oysterling very similar to Crepidotus mollis, the Peeling Oysterling. It is usually a fan-shaped but occasionally (as shown in the main picture on this page) rosette-shaped rubbery fungus that grows on the trunks and stumps of dead broad-leaf trees. It is inedible.

This uncommon oysterling occurs on mainland Europe, but to date there is no conclusive evidence that any of the British records can be distinguished from scaly forms of C. mollis.

Identification guide

Caps of Crepidotus calolepis

Cap

Initially pale but covered with minute dark-brown scales, the kidney-shaped caps turn ochre-brown with age. Faint striations are sometimes visible towards the margin of the cap, which has a gelatinous layer in the upper part of the flesh; this layer isvery elastic, and when stretched a see-through window can be created.

The cap flesh is white, very watery and easily broken.
Gills of Crepidotus calolepis

Gills

The pale brown gills fan out from the attachment point; they are soft and gelatinous.

As the fruitbody ages, the spores mature and the gills turn rusty brown from the centre.

Stem

Usually there is no visible stipe; the attachment to the substrate is at one edge of the cap; from that point the gills radiate.

Spores

Snuff brown; 7 to 10 x 5 to 6.5μm, ellipsoid, smooth, thick-walled.

Odour/taste

Not distinctive.

Habitat

On stumps, dead trunks and fallen branches of deciduous trees, mainly poplars; sometimes emerging from cracks in living poplar trees.

Season

Late summer and autumn

Occurrence

Uncommon.

Similar species

Crepidotus mollis lacks (or has very few) dark brown scales on its cap surface. C. calolepis is considered by some authorities to be merely a scaly form or variety of C. mollis.