Black Bulgar - Bulgaria inquinans

Alternative names
Bachelor's Buttons
Description

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. 

Similar Species

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).

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Photograph in habitat, showing inner and outer surfaces; note substrate and associated tree species; note spore colour on fingers when handled

Habitat

On the dead wood of deciduous trees, especially Oak

When to see it

It is seen in winter but can persist until March

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

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)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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