Stats

Lifespan: Up to 3 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Decomposer
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Spores
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

This eerie fungus pushes up from rotting wood in dark, finger-like clusters that start pale and blacken with age, resembling fingers reaching out of the ground. Slice one open and you'll find stark white flesh inside, a striking contrast to its charred-looking exterior.

Life cycle

1.
spore
A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2.
mycelium
A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3.
fruiting body
A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

Learn more

View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Xylariales
Family: Xylariaceae
Genus: Xylaria
Species: Xylaria polymorpha