Crimped Gill Fungus: Identification, Lookalikes, and Uses

The crimped gill mushroom (Plicaturopsis crispa) is a cute, little shelf fungus that grows in dense, overlapping tiers on dead wood across North America. Its fan-shaped caps look a lot like other small bracket fungi, but underneath, there is a surprise waiting. Instead of “normal” gills, pores, or a smooth surface, there is a network of pale, forked, crimped folds that look like gills. Those crimped folds are how this mushroom got its common name, and it’s the feature that separates it from almost everything else it grows alongside.