Description

• Xylaria polymorpha, commonly called dead man's fingers, is a wood-decaying fungus in the family Xylariaceae. Fruiting bodies are upright, club-shaped to irregularly branched structures that typically emerge from dead wood in clusters. Young specimens are often pale grey, brown, or whitish and may have a powdery surface, while mature specimens become dark brown to black and develop a hard, carbonaceous outer layer.

Range

• Xylaria polymorpha has a broad distribution in temperate and subtropical regions, particularly in North America and Europe, and has also been reported from other regions.

Habitat

• This species grows primarily from buried or partially exposed hardwood stumps, roots, logs, and other dead woody material. It is most often associated with deciduous forest and woodland, where it contributes to the decomposition of dead wood. The dark, persistent fruiting bodies can remain visible for extended periods after maturation.