Dead man's fingers

Description:

Dead man's fingers is a very apt name for this dull-looking species, which usually arises in tufts of three to six fingers that are often bent and give the impression of arthritic black knuckles. The surface is initially white or greyish and covered in a fine pallid powder or conidia during the asexual stage, later becoming slightly granulated and darkening through brown to black, sometimes with greenish or bluish tinges. Individual fingers vary from 1 to 3cm in diameter and are usually between 3 and 8cm long when fully developed. Xylaria polymorpha is a saprobic fungus.

Habitat:

It is a common inhabitant of forest and woodland areas, usually growing from the bases of rotting or injured tree stumps and decaying wood. It has also been known to colonize substrates like woody legume pods, petioles, and herbaceous stems.

Notes:

Spotted in rural area of Deventer, Holland.