Dead Man's Fingers - Xylaria polymorpha

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Description

Fruitbodies are 2.5 to 10 cm tall and can be up to 4 cm thick and variable in shape from cylindrical to knobby to branched or lobed. Attached to the substrate by a short stem, which snaps when bent

Similar Species

Dead Moll's Fingers (Xylaria longipes).  Sometimes confused with Earth-tongues (Geoglossum) but these grow in grasslands, not on dead wood

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Clustered on or near decaying hardwood.

When to see it

June through November although the tough fruit bodies can be found year-round.

UK Status

Fairly common and widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

  • granniejo
    Billesdon Woodland Pool
    01 September 2021
  • David Nicholls
    Launde Fish Ponds
    22 September 2012
  • Graham Calow
    Burbage Common and Woods
    16 February 2012
    inside is solid white
  • Barbara Cooper
    The Outwoods
    17 September 2015
  • David Nicholls
    Launde Fish Ponds
    22 September 2012
  • Graham Calow
    Burbage Common and Woods
    16 February 2012

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

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

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Dead Man's Fingers
Species group:
Fungi
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Xylariales
Family:
Xylariaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
41
First record:
02/10/2005 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
28/11/2024 (Bell, Melinda)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • Melinda Bell
    Burbage Woods
    04 September 2021
    white inside
  • David Nicholls
    Thornton Reservoir
    08 September 2006
  • Alan Semper
    Harby, Dickmans La
    13 September 2012
  • David Nicholls
    Gilroes Cemetery
    10 October 2012
  • granniejo
    Billesdon Woodland Pool
    26 July 2020
  • mttnx
    Great Merrible Wood
    12 February 2022
  • Alan Semper
    Barnsdale Gardens
    08 November 2016
    On dead stump
  • Barbara Cooper
    The Outwoods
    17 September 2015