Description

• Hypoxylon is a genus of wood-inhabiting fungi in the family Hypoxylaceae. Fruiting bodies are usually dark, crust-like, cushion-shaped, or irregularly rounded structures that develop on bark and dead wood. They may be black, brown, reddish, orange, or yellowish, depending on species and stage of development, and often contain numerous small reproductive structures embedded in the outer surface.

Range

• Hypoxylon has a worldwide distribution, with many species occurring in tropical and subtropical forests as well as temperate woodlands. The genus occurs in Mexico, including Guerrero and the Pacific coastal region, and species may be encountered around Zihuatanejo on suitable woody substrates.

Habitat

• Species are primarily associated with dead or dying branches, trunks, and logs of trees and shrubs. They are common in forests and woodlands, including tropical dry forest and humid tropical vegetation, and may also occur on fallen timber in disturbed areas and gardens. Many species become conspicuous as their host wood begins to decay.