Dead Man's Fingers: Difference between revisions
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'''Dead Man’s Fingers''', or '''''Xylaria polymorpha''''', is a [[saprobic]] (saprophytic) and weakly parasitic fungus that is characterized by its club-shaped fruiting bodies that emerge from the [[soil]] in clusters such that it looks like a corpse’s hand is reaching up through the ground. As an [[ascomycete]], it breaks down glucan in woody plants via the soft rot mechanism and can reproduce sexually or asexually. The scientific name refers to a species complex of several closely related species that cannot be easily distinguished. Hardwood trees that are susceptible to black root rot from infection include apple, crabapple, pear, cherry, plum, elm, maple, locust, oak, hickory, sassafras, walnut, and beech. It is inedible. | |||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
''X. polymorpha'' is in the phylum [[Ascomycota]], which is commonly known as the sac fungi and is the largest phylum of fungi containing about 65,000 species. | ''X. polymorpha'' is in the phylum '''[[Ascomycota]]''', which is commonly known as the sac fungi and is the largest phylum of fungi containing about 65,000 species. Furthermore, it is in the family '''Xylariaceae''' which is one of the largest and most diverse families of filamentous Ascomycota. | ||
''Xylaria'' means “growing on wood,” while ''polymorpha'' means “many forms.” ''Xylaria polymorpha'' is actually a '''species complex''' which may consist of anywhere from 5-10 species that are difficult to distinguish from each other. | |||
Revision as of 15:37, 17 May 2022
Dead Man’s Fingers, or Xylaria polymorpha, is a saprobic (saprophytic) and weakly parasitic fungus that is characterized by its club-shaped fruiting bodies that emerge from the soil in clusters such that it looks like a corpse’s hand is reaching up through the ground. As an ascomycete, it breaks down glucan in woody plants via the soft rot mechanism and can reproduce sexually or asexually. The scientific name refers to a species complex of several closely related species that cannot be easily distinguished. Hardwood trees that are susceptible to black root rot from infection include apple, crabapple, pear, cherry, plum, elm, maple, locust, oak, hickory, sassafras, walnut, and beech. It is inedible.
Taxonomy
X. polymorpha is in the phylum Ascomycota, which is commonly known as the sac fungi and is the largest phylum of fungi containing about 65,000 species. Furthermore, it is in the family Xylariaceae which is one of the largest and most diverse families of filamentous Ascomycota.
Xylaria means “growing on wood,” while polymorpha means “many forms.” Xylaria polymorpha is actually a species complex which may consist of anywhere from 5-10 species that are difficult to distinguish from each other.