Schizophyllum commune

“But first a little about Schizophyllum commune. It is probably the most widespread fungus in existence, being found on every continent except Antarctica, where there is no wood to be used as a substrate. There is a single common worldwide species, although there are a few less common species of Schizophyllum. The genus name means "split gill," and thus this is the split gill fungus. It does not appear to be very closely related to the other gilled mushrooms, and most researchers place it in its own order the Schizophyllales. The gills function to produce basidiospores on their surface. They appear to be split because they can dry out and rehydrate (and thus open and close) many times over the course of a growing season. The fruiting bodies to the right are probably a year old or more. This is a great adaptation for a climate with sporadic rains. Unlike other mushroom species, the mycelium only has to produce one set of fruiting bodies per year, which can then dry out and rehydrate and keep functioning. It's a great strategy for reproduction.” ... more in the interesting article of Tom Volk http://tomvolkfungi.net/

200 // 4.5