Garden Fungi – Schizophyllum commune

 
Grows on DEAD WOOD.
 
Schizophyllum commune is a greyish white fan like fungus attached to wood. Its gills are split lengthways along their edges, hence the common name of “split-gill”.
 
Fruit-body: White or with a grey or light fawn tint, fan shaped; usually fairly small, diameter 40mm (can be up to 75 x 37 mm). The upper surface of the cap is furry and the edge can appear undulating or scalloped due to overlapping tiers. The underside shows white to pale beige gills that actually split lengthways.
 
Stem: Just a short single attachment point to the wood for the fan shaped body.
 
Spore print: White or with a faint salmon/pink tinge.
 
Smell: Do not smell this fungus! It is a pathogenic fungus that has been identified as the cause of a number of respiratory diseases in humans.
 
Habit: Rarely solitary, usually in large numbers on moist dead wood.
 
Notes: As the wood dries out this fungus shrivels; it refreshes rapidly after rain.
 
This is a Fungimap target species.