About this fungus
Dead Man's Fingers is a fungus in the Xylariaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
Thick, blunt, irregular clubs growing in groups from dead hardwood or buried roots. Young growth is grey or blue-grey with a pale powdery coating; mature clubs become hard, warty and black.
What to check
The whole visible structure is a stroma rather than a cap and stem. A section has a tough white interior beneath a black outer layer, with tiny flask-shaped spore chambers just under the surface. Mature spores are dark brown to black in mass. There are no gills, pores, ring or volva.
Variation
The pale asexual stage can look very different from mature black fingers. Individual clubs vary from squat and swollen to irregularly lobed or partly fused, which is reflected in the name polymorpha.
Lookalikes
Dead Moll's Fingers, Xylaria longipes, is generally slimmer, has a more distinct narrow stalk and strongly favours sycamore or other maples; microscopy may be needed because its spores are smaller. Candlesnuff Fungus, Xylaria hypoxylon, is much thinner and usually antler-branched. Earthtongues grow from soil in grassland rather than dead wood.
Habitat and range
Saprotrophic on broad-leaved stumps, logs and buried roots, especially beech and other hardwoods, often at ground level. Persistent old stromata can be found for much of the year across temperate regions and beyond.
Food safety
Inedible.