Xylaria polymorpha (Pers.) Grev.
(Dead Man’s Fingers)

Interactions where Xylaria polymorpha is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead stump Quercus oaks Fagales: Fagaceae Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Fagales/Fagaceae/Quercus/Quercusoaksdeadstump (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead branch Quercus oaks Fagales: Fagaceae Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Fagales/Fagaceae/Quercus/Quercusoaksdeadbranch (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead stump Prunus plums, cherries and laurels, planted cherry Rosales: Rosaceae Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Rosales/Rosaceae/Prunus/Prunusplums, cherries and laurels, planted cherrydeadstump (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead branch Prunus plums, cherries and laurels, planted cherry Rosales: Rosaceae Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Rosales/Rosaceae/Prunus/Prunusplums, cherries and laurels, planted cherrydeadbranch (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead stump Acer maples Sapindales: Sapindaceae Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Sapindales/Sapindaceae/Acer/Acermaplesdeadstump (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead branch Acer maples Sapindales: Sapindaceae Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Sapindales/Sapindaceae/Acer/Acermaplesdeadbranch (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead wood Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore, Great Maple Sapindales: Sapindaceae Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Sapindales/Sapindaceae/Acer pseudoplatanus/Acer pseudoplatanussycamore, great mapledeadwood (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead stump [Broadleaved trees] broadleaved, frondose or deciduous trees Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Broadleaved trees/Broadleaved treesbroadleaved, frondose or deciduous treesdeadstump (9-11)
stroma (erect, at soil level) erect, at soil level stroma is saprobic on dead branch [Broadleaved trees] broadleaved, frondose or deciduous trees Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingerserect, at soil levelstroma Foodplant / saprobe /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Broadleaved trees/Broadleaved treesbroadleaved, frondose or deciduous treesdeadbranch (9-11)

Interactions where Xylaria polymorpha is the victim or passive partner (and generally loses out from the process)

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Filters:

Affected Part Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season Summary
(dead/effete) dead/effete stroma is decayed by ascomatum Foreign Cosmospora xylariae a pyrenomycete Hypocreales: Nectriaceae Cosmospora xylariae (Nectriaceae), a new species from France, Germany and U.K., with notes on C. berkeleyana, now Sphaerostilbella berkeleyana, and C. scruposae, Lechat, C. & Fournier, J., 2021
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Hypocreales/Nectriaceae/Cosmospora xylariae/Cosmospora xylariaea pyrenomyceteascomatum Fungus / saprobeForeign /Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingersdead/effetestroma ascomatum is saprobic on dead/effete stroma
stroma stroma is parasitised by colony of Calcarisporium anamorph Calcarisporium arbuscula an anamorphic fungus Hypocreales Microfungi on Miscellaneous Substrates: An Identification Handbook, Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1998
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Hypocreales/Calcarisporium arbuscula/Calcarisporium arbusculaan anamorphic funguscolonyCalcarisporium anamorph Fungus / parasite /Fungi/Ascomycota/Sordariomycetes/Xylariales/Xylariaceae/Xylaria polymorpha/Xylaria polymorphadead man’s fingersstroma colony of Calcarisporium anamorph parasitises stroma

Author & YearTitleSource
Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook2nd (New Enlarged) edition, 868pp, The Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd
Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1998Microfungi on Miscellaneous Substrates: An Identification Handbook2nd (New Enlarged) edition, 246pp, The Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd
Lechat, C. & Fournier, J., 2021Cosmospora xylariae (Nectriaceae), a new species from France, Germany and U.K., with notes on C. berkeleyana, now Sphaerostilbella berkeleyana, and C. scruposaeAscomycete.org vol 13 (5): 189-196.

Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers) may also be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesXylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers)
GenusXylaria (a genus of stromatic pyrenomycetes)
FamilyXYLARIACEAE (a family of stromatic pyrenomycetes)
OrderXYLARIALES (an order of pyrenomycetes)
SubclassSORDARIOMYCETIDAE (a subclass of ascomycetes and lichens)
ClassSORDARIOMYCETES (a class of ascomycetes)
SubphylumPEZIZOMYCOTINA (a subphylum of ascomycetes)
PhylumASCOMYCOTA (spore shooters, ascomycete)
KingdomFUNGI (true fungi)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
Minter, D. 1986 Autumn foray 1985: Chester College, Chester Bull. Br. mycol. Soc. Vol 20 (2): 88-93.

Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may be relevant to Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 2 images of Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers)
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