Black Bulgar - Bulgaria inquinans
It is initially rounded with a blackish-brown scurfy outer surface, but expands into a black, shiny, rubbery button-shaped fruitbody, sometimes retaining a raised rim. The spore depost is black, and this rubs off onto fingers when it is handled.
Witches' Butter and Warlock's Butter also form black jelly-like blobs on twigs and branches but have a warty hymenium (fertile surface) and white spore print (so they do not stain the fingers black).
Photograph in habitat, showing inner and outer surfaces; note substrate and associated tree species; note spore colour on fingers when handled
On the dead wood of deciduous trees, especially Oak
It is seen in winter but can persist until March
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Species profile
- Common names
- Black Bulgar, Batchelor's Buttons
- Species group:
- fungus
- Kingdom:
- Fungi
- Order:
- Phacidiales
- Family:
- Phacidiaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 5
- First record:
- 07/08/2023 (Bell, Melinda)
- Last record:
- 10/11/2023 (Timms, Sue)
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% of records within its species group
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