Dead Man’s Fingers
(Xylaria polymorpha)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
In the spring Dead Man’s Fingers are pale, coated with spore dust, with a whitish tip. Later in the season they are dark brown and blackish, looking like something left by the neighbor’s cat. In the fall they are dried out and black. The surface is rough or minutely pimpled. |
Similar Species |
Habitat and Hosts |
Oak and pine forests, lawns. Hardwoods |
Ecology |
Season |
June to November |
Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 6/9/2024 | ||
Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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Kingdom |
Fungi (fungi) |
Subkingdom |
Dikarya |
Phylum |
Ascomycota (sac fungi) |
Subphylum |
Pezizomycotina |
Class |
Sordariomycetes |
Subclass |
Xylariomycetidae |
Order |
Xylariales |
Family |
Xylariaceae |
Genus |
Xylaria |
Xylaria polymorpha is a consolidation, called a species complex, of 5 to 10 species that cannot be easily distinguished from each other. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Cordyceps polymorpha Cordylia polymorpha Hypoxylon polymorphum Hypoxylon polymorphum var. mammillanum Hypoxylon polymorphum var. spathulatum Sphaeria digitata Sphaeria digitata var. polymorpha Sphaeria polymorpha Sphaeria polymorpha ssp. polymorpha Sphaeria polymorpha var. spathulata Xylaria clavata Xylaria corrugata Xylaria polymorpha ssp. pachystroma Xylaria polymorpha var. acrodactyla Xylaria polymorpha var. acuminata Xylaria polymorpha var. combinans Xylaria polymorpha var. fastigiata Xylaria polymorpha var. hypoxylea Xylaria polymorpha var. mentzeliana Xylaria polymorpha var. pistillaris Xylaria polymorpha var. spathulata Xylaria rugosa Xylosphaera polymorpha Xylosphaeria polymorpha |
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Common Names |
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Dead Man’s Fingers |
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Visitor Photos |
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Deb DeMars |
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Can you tell me what kind of mushrooms these are? I have some strange looking mushrooms growing in my rocks in front of my home!. Can you tell me what kind they are? |
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Deb Wech |
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Shelby R |
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Honey Fae (Farah) |
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Bridget L |
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Dave Verburg |
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Itasca State Park Naturalists |
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We used these as a stop on our Halloween in June Night Hike, very cool fungi! |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Dead Mans Fingers - Xylaria polymorpha |
About
Published on Jun 12, 2012 Wheal Busy Chacewater Cornwall - Xylaria polymorpha - Dead Mans Fingers a type of fungus |
XylariaPolymorpha |
About
Published on Sep 10, 2013 Xylaria Polymorpha en Santa Rosa de Lima, Guatemala |
Dissecting Dead-Mans-Fingers ( Xylaria polymorpha ) 07 Dec 2013. |
About
Published on Dec 28, 2013 No description available. |
Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this fungus. |
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This button not working for you? |
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Deb DeMars |
Location: Vadnais Heights, MN Can you tell me what kind of mushrooms these are? Can you tell me what kind they are? |
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Shelby R |
Location: Brackett Field Park, Minneapolis |
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| Honey Fae (Farah) 6/12/2022 |
Location: Minnesota |
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| Bridget L June 2022 |
Location: Dakota County |
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| Dave Verburg 8/30/2016 |
Location: Rochester MN, friends house |
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Itasca State Park Naturalists |
Location: Itasca State Park, Park Rapids, MN, Hubbard County We used these as a stop on our Halloween in June Night Hike, very cool fungi! |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Lakeville, MN |
Created: Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |