How to identify Crowded Parchment

To correctly identify Crowded Parchment (Stereum complicatum), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   Thin, bracket-like, tan to brown, often with zones of different colors.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Absent (smooth underside).

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   Absent.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   Thin and tough.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   Crowded, overlapping brackets.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   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

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Absent (smooth underside)
• Stem shape: Absent
• Stem surface: Absent
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Absent

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