Splitgill

This is one of the more remarkable fungal colonisation stories of recent years. It is Schizophyllum commune or Splitgill, a rather splendid bracket-like fungus when found in its natural habitat, on fallen branches of deciduous trees. Here it is seen in the new habitat it is successfully exploiting - polythene-wrapped straw bales. Examine any bales like this in the south-east of England and if there is a split in the polythene you are likely to find a fruiting body from this fungus poking through. When it grows in this way, it becomes a messy mass of tissue, unlike the rather elegant little furry brackets found on trees, no doubt due to the perfect conditions rich in nutrients where the mycelium is growing inside the bale.