Split-gill Schizophyllum commune (Fr.) Fr. (illustrated 50% life size) Cap 1–4cm across, fan-shaped, often lobed or fused with others; densely covered in greyish-white down with a purplish tinge. Stem absent or rudimentary. Flesh pale; tough. Gills radiating from the point of attachment, splitting lengthwise and rolling back to cover the space between the gills, protecting the hymenium from desiccation. Spores 6×3¼, cylindrical. Spore print white. Habitat on dead wood of deciduous trees and cut timber, also on bales of hay that have been wrapped in plastic sheeting; all year. Occasional, more frequent in south-east England. Not edible.
