Crepidotus spp.

Scientific names:  Crepidotus mollis (Fr.) Staude;
Crepidotus applanatus (Pers.) P. Kumm.; Crepidotus
crocophyllus (Berk.) Sacc.
Derivation of name:  Moll- means "soft." Applanatus
means "flattened." Crocophyllus means "saffron-colored
leaves (gills)."
Synonyms:  
Common name(s):  Crepidotus applanatus is called the
Flat Crep; Crepidotus mollis is called the Jelly Crep, and
Crepidotus crocophyllus is called the Orange Crep.
Phylum:   Basidiomycota
Order:   Agaricales
Family:   Crepidotaceae
Occurrence on wood substrate:  Saprobic; clustered,
sometimes overlapping on decaying hardwoods (rarely
conifers); July through September.  
Dimensions:  See figure captions.   
Cap:  See figure captions.        
Gills: Radiating from point of attachment.  
Spore print: Brownish.
Stipe: Absent, attached to substrate by a short, hairy plug
of tissue.
Veil: None.
Edibility: Unknown.
Comments: Miller indicates the presence of over 100
species of Crepidotus in North America sharing traits
such as thin flesh, convex to fan-shaped caps,
generally stalkless, inhabiting wood, and having brownish
spores. Most require the use of a microscope to identify
them. Two common species and one uncommon but
distinctive species (C. crocophyllus) are described on
this page.

More information at TomVolkFungi.net
More informationat MushroomExpert.com:

 
Figure 1. Crepidotus mollis. Caps are 1-8 cm wide; color
is variable from olive-brown to ochraceous whitish. Caps
are covered with dark brown fibrous scales. The gelatinous
upper layer of the cap can be stretched slightly at the margin.
Gills whitish at first but becoming brownish.
Photo © William Roody.

Figure 2. Another view of Crepidotus mollis.
Photo © John Plischke III.

Figure 3. Crepidotus mollis specimens photographed at
the 2007 NEMF foray. Photo © Gary Emberger.


Figure 4. Crepidotus applanatus. Caps are 1-4 cm wide;
color is white when young, becoming brownish with age.
Caps are hairless or minutely downy. Gills white at first,
becoming brown. Photo © John Plischke III.

Figure 5. Crepidotus applanatus photographed at the 2007
NEMF foray. Photo © Gary Emberger.

Figure 6. Crepidotus crocophyllus with saffron-orange gills
and hairy cap, photographed at the 2007 NEMF foray.
Caps 1-4 cm wide, orange to orange-brown and minutely
scaly. Photo © Gary Emberger.