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Mushroom Monday: Splitgill Mushrooms
Happy Mushroom Monday everyone! Today’s Mushroom Monday is the Splitgill Mushroom (Schizophyllum commune).
What do Splitgill Mushrooms Look Like?
The caps of splitgill mushrooms are about 1⁄3 of an inch to about 1 ½ inches in width. They are hairy and white/gray in color, although they can be purplish. The part of the mushroom referred to as gills (more about this below) are pink/gray in color and spread out from where the mushroom attaches to wood. Generally, these mushrooms don’t have stems, but if there are stems present, they are short and rudimentary and might not be seen as they would be in the wood. The mushrooms are rubbery and grow in groups like shelves.
The Splitgill Mushroom’s “gills”
Although the mushroom is called splitgill, it doesn’t really have gills in a specific sense. The parts that look like gills are folds of the underside of the mushroom. They serve a purpose in that when the weather is dry, the splits in the “gills” close together. When they get wet, they open again. When they are open the spores can be released. Splitgill mushrooms can go through this process of opening and closing multiple times and they can stay dry for a long time. This feature allows them to survive all year in many places.
Other Facts About Splitgill Mushrooms
Splitgill mushrooms are generally saprophytic, growing on dead and decaying wood, but can also be parasitic. They can grow in hot and humid conditions, and can be found growing across the world, except Antarctica. This feature is where part of their name comes from (the commune part indicating they are common around the world). They can cause a person to get sick in their lungs.
