Species details
Peeling oysterling
Crepidotus mollis
Inedible
Photo: debk · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A shell-shaped oysterling with a white to ochre cap skin and a characteristic gelatinous layer beneath it.
Identification features
Cap about 3–8 cm wide, shell- to fan-shaped, whitish to ochre or grey-brown. The skin can partly peel away, revealing a stretchy gelatinous layer beneath. Gills are crowded and brown with age.
Identification checklist
Check the shell-shaped growth on wood and especially the peelable cap skin with a gelatinous layer beneath.
Detailed features
- Cap
- Cap about 3–8 cm wide, shell- to fan-shaped, whitish to ochre or grey-brown.
- Hymenophore
- The gills become brown with age.
Size
- Cap diameter
- 3–8 cm
Habitat
Grows on dead hardwood, especially elm, beech and ash, mainly in late summer and autumn.
Fruiting period
August, September, October
Ecology
- Host trees
- Beech (Fagus), Elm (Ulmus)
- Substrate
- Dead wood
- Notes
- Grows on dead hardwood, especially elm, beech and ash, mainly in late summer and autumn.
How to separate similar species
Other Crepidotus species can be very similar but usually lack such a distinct gelatinous layer under the cap skin.