Fungi > Basidiomycota > Class Agaricomycetes > Order Agaricales > Family Schizophyllaceae.
A very common mushroom almost always seen in clusters.
Occasionally found on living wood they are usually on dead wood.
They causes white rot.
Solitary mushrooms are fan-shaped with no stem or a very short lateral one.
Commonly up to around 4 cm across they can be larger.
The edge may be lobed.
When clustered, adjacent bodies fuse forming tiers.
On a flat surface they are more irregular in shape.
The upper surface is densely covered with small white, grey or brown hairs.
They appear to have gills but these are thick folds in the hymenium (spore bearing layer).
The folds can split or double when the mushroom dries out then reform when it rehydrates.
The pore surface is pale cream, white or pink but becomes grey as it ages.
J.F.
