ID: Schizophyllum
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Schizophyllaceae
Collected from Turtle Creek Park on April 2nd. It had recently snowed and the ground was covered. Specimen was found on wood and taken back to lab for identification.
The Fruiting body appeared to have gills on its underside. However, upon further examination under a dissecting microscope, gills turned out to be more like “folds”. This is an identifying feature in the Schizophyllum genus. Fruiting body was small and fan shaped, covered in small white hairs. Genus tends to be sabrobic on decaying wood, and occasionally parasitic on living wood. Typically grows in cluster. It can survive year round and if widely distributed in North America.
Spores tend to be 3-4 x 1-1.5 µ but can sometimes be as large as 5.5-7 x 2-2.5 µ. Spores are smooth in texture and cylindrical to elliptical shaped. Clamp connections would be present in hyphe. (Mushroom Expert).
