I have discovered a number of fascinating mushrooms this fall. Even in early winter, mushrooms are producing fruiting bodies. I found this Jelly Crep (Crepidotus mollis) growing on a dead tree in an open lot a few blocks from our house. The older ones were larger and smoother, and pale ochre in colour but like their other common name, Flabby Creps suggests, weren’t too photogenic. The young Jelly Creps on this tree tended to be a tawny brown with a hint of pale ochre. Fine brown scales covered the caps.

This mushroom superficially resembles oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus). However, the jelly crep has a spore print that is a dull brown colour. I took a specimen home in order to make a print to check the colour. The gills of this species of Crepidotus are whitish but become brown with age. Crepidotus typically has a stalk that is usually rudimentary or absent or, if present, off-center.