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Fungi: Ascomycota: Sordariomycetes: Xylariales: Xylariaceae: Xylaria polymorpha (Pers.) Grev., 1824

Xylaria polymorpha – Dead man's fingers

Synonyms: Hypoxylon polymorphum, Sphaeria digitata, Sphaeria polymorpha, Sphaeria spathulata, Xylaria corrugata, Xylaria fastigiata, Xylaria pachystroma, Xylaria rugosa, Xylosphaera polymorpha.

Common name: dead man's fingers.

Russian names: Ksilyariya mnogoobraznaya, Paltsy mertvetsa, Ksilariya mnogoobraznaya, Ksilyariya polimorfnaya.

Extract from Wikipedia article: Xylaria polymorpha, commonly known as dead man's fingers, is a saprobic fungus. It is a common inhabitant of forest and woodland areas, usually growing from the bases of rotting or injured tree stumps and decaying wood. It has also been known to colonize substrates like woody legume pods, petioles, and herbaceous stems. It is characterized by its elongated upright, clavate, or strap-like stromata poking up through the ground, much like fingers. The genus Xylaria contains about 100 species of cosmopolitan fungi. Polymorpha means "many forms". As its name suggests, it has a very variable but often club-shaped fruiting body (stroma) resembling burned wood.

Photos of this mushroom from the area of St. Petersburg, Russia

Fungus dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) in moss on a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-04.htm">September 4, 2017</A>
LinkFungus dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) in moss on a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 4, 2017
Saprobic fungus dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) at the base of a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-04.htm">September 4, 2017</A>
LinkSaprobic fungus dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) at the base of a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 4, 2017
Saprobic fungus dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) on a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-04.htm">September 4, 2017</A>
LinkSaprobic fungus dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) on a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 4, 2017
Group of dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B> mushrooms) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-04.htm">September 4, 2017</A>
LinkGroup of dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha mushrooms) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 4, 2017
Dissected mushrooms dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-04.htm">September 4, 2017</A>
LinkDissected mushrooms dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 4, 2017
Dissected mushrooms dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) on moss near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-04.htm">September 4, 2017</A>
LinkDissected mushrooms dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) on moss near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 4, 2017
Close up of a mushroom dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-04.htm">September 4, 2017</A>
LinkClose up of a mushroom dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) in Alexander Park. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 4, 2017
Group of dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B> mushrooms) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park in Pushkin, former Tsarskoe Selo, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-07.htm">September 7, 2017</A>
LinkGroup of dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha mushrooms) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park in Pushkin, former Tsarskoe Selo, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, September 7, 2017
Location on mapsDoroga Na Aleksandrovku, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
Dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B> mushrooms) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park in Pushkin, former Tsarskoe Selo, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2017-09-07.htm">September 7, 2017</A>
LinkDead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha mushrooms) near a rotten oak stump in Alexander Park in Pushkin, former Tsarskoe Selo, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, September 7, 2017
Location on mapsDoroga Na Aleksandrovku, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
Mushrooms dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) on old low linden stump south-west from Arsenal in Alexander Park in Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg. Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2021-05-18.htm">May 18, 2021</A>
LinkMushrooms dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) on old low linden stump south-west from Arsenal in Alexander Park in Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 18, 2021
Location on mapsMalyy Lamskiy Most, Ланской пруд Александровском парке, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia, 196603
Close-up of mushrooms dead man's fingers (<B>Xylaria polymorpha</B>) on old low linden stump near Small Lamsky Bridge in Alexander Park in Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg. Russia, <A HREF="../date-en/2021-05-18.htm">May 18, 2021</A>
LinkClose-up of mushrooms dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) on old low linden stump near Small Lamsky Bridge in Alexander Park in Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 18, 2021
Location on mapsMalyy Lamskiy Most, Ланской пруд Александровском парке, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia, 196603

Comments

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Links

Acknowledgements

Russian web-forums Planeta Gribov, V Kontakte, and Griby Sredney Polosy for learning names of local mushrooms.

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