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Xylaria hypoxylon |
Xylaria hypoxylon, commonly called either the Candle-snuff Fungus or
the Stag's Horn Fungus, appears throughout the year,
but it is particularly common during late autumn and winter.
Identification guide |
Description |
Small, upright fruit bodies, usually in
masses. Some are simple spikes, but most branch like antlers.
Initially black and finely downy near the sterile base, and white towards the spore-bearing tips, the whole of the fruitbody eventually blackens. This is one of the last fungi to attack rotting wood, and is often preceded by a succession of other species such as Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) and Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare). |
Dimensions |
Base 2 to 8 mm in diameter; fruitbody typically 3 to 5 cm tall. |
Spore print |
Black. |
Odour/taste |
Not distinctive. |
Habitat |
On fallen branches and rotting stumps of broad-leaf trees; very occasionally on pine stumps. |
Season |
Autumn and winter. |
Occurrence |
Frequent. |
Similar species |
|
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