Day 157: If the peculiar "rotting lace" surface of Schizophyllum commune doesn't clue you in to its identity, you have only to turn over one of the fruiting bodies to examine the gills. Commonly called "Split-Gill Fungus," the lengthwise splits are easily visible with the naked eye, but here I have included a microscopic view (inset, right) so that you can see them more clearly. Schizophyllum commune is perhaps one of the most common fungi on the planet. In fact, it can be found on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Although it is occasionally parasitic on living wood, it is primarily a decomposer, occurring on tree trunks and limbs already in the early stages of breaking down. This particular specimen gave me something to ponder. It was growing on a heavy Doug-fir limb, and the trees surrounding it for at least a hundred feet on all sides were Red Alder. How had that one limb come to be in their midst? No windstorm could have carried it there without damage being evident in the canopy. My sole theory is that it was brought in by a maintenance crew for bridge/trail repair, then left behind when it wasn't needed. In any event, Schizophyllum had found a happy home.
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