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    Splitgill

    Schizophyllum commune Fr. · Schizophyllaceae

    Also: Gillies, Split-gills

    Inedible

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Splitgill
    Photo: Doug Bowman from DeKalb IL, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The splitgill is a small, fan-shaped, felty grey-white wood fungus with gills that are split lengthways. It is found worldwide and grows all year round on dead wood.

    Seasonyear-round
    Spore printwhite
    FamilySchizophyllaceae
    1. Cap. The fruiting body is 1 to 4 cm wide, shell- to fan-shaped, attached at the side, grey-white and densely felty on top.
    2. Underside. The gills are grey to pink-grey and split lengthways along the edge. When dry, the two halves of each split gill roll inwards.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. There is no stem, or only a hint of one. There is no ring or volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It has no distinctive smell.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is tough and leathery.

    Lookalikes

    Not an edible mushroom in Central Europe; very rarely it causes infections in people with weakened immune systems.

    Habitat & Season

    Wood; sunny, dry spots. From the lowlands to the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Dead broadleaved wood, less often conifer wood, also worked timber and straw bales.

    Season

    possible good main season

    All year round; the fruiting bodies survive dry spells.

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

    All mushroom regions →

    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it for the kitchen.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    Salzburg: collecting inedible mushrooms is banned.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    Why it is not edible

    Tough and with no food value. German Wikipedia describes it as non-poisonous and used as an edible mushroom in Mexico.

    Do not collect it to eat.

    Frequently asked questions

    Splitgill: Is it edible?

    No, it is regarded as inedible. Not an edible mushroom in Central Europe; very rarely it causes infections in people with weakened immune systems.

    Splitgill: When and where does it grow?

    It can be found all year round. All year round; the fruiting bodies survive dry spells. Partner and habitat: dead broadleaved wood, less often conifer wood, also worked timber and straw bales. Soil: wood; sunny, dry spots. Altitude: from the lowlands to the hills and mountains.

    Splitgill: What are its lookalikes?

    The most important one to rule out is Auriculariopsis ampla (inedible): it is cup-shaped and has no gills. Other lookalikes: oyster mushroom.

    Related species

    Open the mushroom map Mushroom trainer: test yourself

    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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