Bitter Oysterling - Panellus stipticus

Description

The cap is kidney shaped to shell shaped and tan or pale ochre, with a velvety or felty upper surface that is often broken up into small patches.  It has a short, tapering lateral stem. The gills are crowded, forked and also cream or tan/ochre; usually with distinctive cross veins.  Spore print white.

Similar Species

At first glance this may be mistaken for a bracket, but the presence of gills indicate an agaric. 

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Photograph from top down and from underneath to show gills and stem; note habitat and substrate.

Habitat

Trunks, large branches and stumps of dead hardwood trees, particularly oak, birch, alder, beech.

When to see it

Mainly autumn and early winter in Britain.

UK Status

Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Bitter Oysterling
Species group:
fungus
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Agaricales
Family:
Mycenaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
12
First record:
24/09/2017 (Cann, Alan)
Last record:
20/01/2026 (Bell, Melinda)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records