Species details
Long-stemmed wood club
Xylaria longipes
Inedible
Photo: bjoerns · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A slender black finger-like wood club with a relatively long stalk, mainly on decaying beech and maple wood.
Identification features
Fruitbody 2–8 cm tall, up to about 2 cm wide, club- or finger-shaped with a rounded tip. Grey when young, later black and cracked.
Identification checklist
Check the relatively long stalk, slender finger-like shape and growth directly from hardwood.
How to separate similar species
Xylaria polymorpha is usually thicker and more often clustered; reliable separation of related species may require microscopy.
Habitat
Grows directly from decaying hardwood logs and branches, often beech and maple, from spring to autumn.
Fruiting period
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November