Species details
Beech woodwart
Hypoxylon fragiforme
Inedible
Photo: Stephen James McWilliam · CC0 · Photo source · License
Description
Small nearly spherical reddish fruitbodies growing abundantly on hardwood bark and turning black with age.
Identification features
Fruitbodies about 0.5–3 cm wide, hemispherical to nearly spherical, brick- to strawberry-red when young, dark brown to black and hard when old.
Identification checklist
Check for many hard strawberry- to brick-red rounded fruitbodies on beech bark and their blackening with age.
How to separate similar species
Related Hypoxylon species can be similar; host tree and microscopic characters are important.
Habitat
Most often grows on the bark of dead beech branches and trunks, often in large groups.
Fruiting period
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Similar species
- Hypoxylon rubiginosum
- Brittle cinder (Kretzschmaria deusta)
- Cramp balls (Daldinia concentrica)