Schizophyllum commune sightings - Canberra Nature Map

Schizophyllum commune

Split Gill Fungus

The fruit body is a stemless cap, attached directly to wood. The cap has a leathery texture and may be close to semi-circular, fan-shaped or lobed. Its upper surface is whitish to grey (or a little pinkish when well-hydrated) and with a dense, hairy covering that makes it furry to the touch. On the beige to greyish underside there are gills, but they occur in close, parallel pairs, as if one thick gill had been sliced in two, lengthwise, and this is the basis of the name Schizopyllum. It is derived from two Greek words schizo (split) and phullon (leaf), for gills are flat and somewhat leaf-like and in this species they are split.

Sometimes you see a greenish colour – algae. The hairy surface may trap algal spores and since the hairy surface can hold moisture the cap can be an algally-friendly microhabitat.

This is a cosmopolitan species that is found on a wide range of live or dead wood, in a wide variety of habitats. The fruit bodies usually appear in large numbers, often overlapping.

The combination of colour, furriness and split gills makes this an unmistakeable species.

Schizophyllum commune is listed in the following regions:

Canberra & Southern Tablelands | Southern Highlands | South Coast