Common Split Gill

Photo of common split gills, white bracket mushrooms growing on branch
Not recommended/not edible
Scientific Name
Schizophyllum commune
Family
Schizophyllaceae
Description

Small, white, hairy, fan-shaped caps; beneath, whitish or pinkish gill-like folds that split toward the edge. Grows in clusters on dead branches. Year-round. Cap fan-shaped; whitish to grayish; texture dry, hairy, leathery. Underside whitish to grayish to pinkish; hairy, with gill-like folds that are split lengthwise to the cap margin. Stalk not present, or tiny. Spore print white. Spores magnified are cylindrical, smooth.

There are no lookalikes in Missouri.

Size
Cap width: ¼–1½ inches.
Where To Find
image of Common Split Gill Distribution Map
Statewide.
Grows in groups on dead branches of deciduous trees; found on every continent on the planet. This is a very common and cute little mushroom. It’s easy to identify if you check for the split gills underneath the cap. It shrivels up during dry times and revives when wet conditions return.
Not edible.
This species lives as a network of cells (mycelium) within dead branches as a saprobe, and living branches as a parasite, that digests and decomposes the wood. When ready to reproduce, the mycelium develops the caps that emerge from the log—these are reproductive structures. Spores are produced in the gill-like folds beneath and are released to begin new mycelia elsewhere.
Mushrooms decorate nature the way wildflowers do, adding to our pleasure on hikes. Many mushrooms are most prominent in the fall, when wildflowers are winding down. Take a few minutes to look closely and appreciate the intricate architecture of these organisms.
Fungi are vitally important for a healthy ecosystem. This fungus feeds off of dead or dying trees, decomposing them in the process. This cleans the forest and helps nutrients to cycle back into the soil—an unglamorous but vital role in the ecosystem.
Media Gallery
Photo of common split gills, white bracket mushrooms growing on branch
Anonymous
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Photo of common split gill mushroom closeup of white brackets showing gills
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Photo of colony of common split gills, white bracket fungi, on bark of dead tree
Andrej Kunca, National Forest Centre - Slovakia, Bugwood.org
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Photo of several common split gills, white bracket mushrooms, on a rotting log
Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
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Photo of common split gills, white bracket mushrooms growing on branch
Photo of common split gill mushroom closeup of white brackets showing gills
Photo of colony of common split gills, white bracket fungi, on bark of dead tree
Photo of several common split gills, white bracket mushrooms, on a rotting log
Similar Species
About Mushrooms in Missouri

Mushrooms are a lot like plants, but they lack chlorophyll and have to take nutrients from other materials. Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals. They are in a different kingdom — the fungi. Fungi include the familiar mushroom-forming species, plus the yeasts, molds, smuts, and rusts.

Always be cautious when eating edible mushrooms. Be absolutely sure of the ID, and only eat a small amount the first time you try it to avoid a reaction..