Schizophyllum commune - Split Gill

Boletus badius - Bay Bolete

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Schizophyllaceae

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

Seen from above, this is just another small white bracket-like fungus, but beneath the cap are radial gill-like folds, each of which is centrally split. The splits close over the fertile surfaces as the fruitbody shrivels during prolonged dry weather, rehydrating when moistened by rain; then the splits reopen, the spore-producing surfaces are exposed to the air, and spores are released. Split Gills can survive several such cycles of dehydration and rehydration.

Identification guide

Cap of Schizophyllum commune

Cap

White and hairy, sometimes tinged purple; the individual caps are typically 1 to 3cm across and 0.3 to 1cm thick; frequently fused into the edges of adjacent caps.
Gills of Schizophyllum commune

Gills

Pinkish grey; radiating from the attachment point (whether lateral or central); splitting lengthways and curling back to protect the fertile surface (hymenium) during dry weather.

Stem

Very short and often not visible above the substrate surface; when underneath dead wood the fruitbodies are attached centrally via the infertile surface and without a stem.

Spore print

White.

Odour/taste

Not distinctive.
Schizophyllum commune growing on a silage bale

Habitat

More often than not many tiers of fruitbodies cover damaged areas of bark on a sickly tree’s trunk or on dead or dying branches.

This remarkable fungus has taken a liking to silage; it is frequently seen with tiers of fruitbodies emerging from cracks in plastic-wrapped round bales.

Season

The long lived fruitbodies can be seen throughout the year.

Occurrence

Common.