Got a photo? Identify mushrooms instantly with the Mushby app
Open the appDescription
Crowded Parchment (Stereum complicatum) is a saprotrophic bracket fungus found on dead deciduous wood. It is characterized by its crowded, parchment-like brackets that lack a stem. The upper surface is typically tan to brown, often with zones of different colors, and may be hairy or smooth. The underside is smooth to slightly wrinkled and lacks pores or gills.
How to Identify
- Cap
- Thin, bracket-like, tan to brown, often with zones of different colors.
- Gills
- Absent (smooth underside).
- Stem
- Absent.
- Flesh
- Thin and tough.
- Fruiting body
- Crowded, overlapping brackets.
- Habitat
- Dead deciduous wood.
Key Facts
- Cap surfaces: Smooth to hairy, often zoned
- Growth Form: Bracket-like, clustered
- Spore Print: White to yellowish
- Body color: Tan to brown
- Odor: Indistinct
- Flesh bruises: No significant bruising reaction
- Height: Less than 1 cm
- Cap Diameter: 1-5 cm
- Nutrient gathering: Saprotrophic
Safe
SafeNon-toxic, but not typically consumed due to its tough texture.
Quick Check
- Odor: Not distinctive
- Fruiting: Year-round
- Substrate: Dead deciduous wood
Where to Find
Deciduous Forests
Found on dead deciduous wood, particularly on fallen branches and logs.
Finding Tips
Habitat
Look for clusters of thin, overlapping brackets on decaying wood.
Underside Check
Check for the absence of pores or gills on the underside of the brackets.
Similar Species
Stereum ostrea
similar bracket fungus
Also known as: False Turkey Tail
Scientific Classification
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Russulales
- Family
- Stereaceae
- Genus
- Stereum
Storage Information
- Max Temperature: N/A
- Freezing duration: N/A
- Min Temperature: N/A
- Refrigeration: N/A
How to Clean
Not applicable, as this fungus is not typically consumed.
Explore Crowded Parchment
Identify mushrooms anywhere
Free on iOS, Android, and Web. Photo identification, full database, and your personal collection.