It feeds on wood and spreads on the ground until it takes the form of ‘zombie fingers’ or ‘dead man’s fingers’, as it is commonly known, this is Xylaria Polymorpha.
It is the scientific name for the genus Xylaria, which has more than 100 cosmopolitan species. On the other hand, polymorpha refers to the great variety of forms it can take. In addition, it is a saprophytic fungus, meaning that it needs other organisms to survive. It is basically a parasite.
This fungus generally grows from the bases of rotten or injured tree stumps and rotting wood.
Dead man’s fingers, fungus of chromatic transformations
The peculiarity of the dead man’s fingers is due to the fact that, its appearance. In fact, those responsible for the creepy nickname of this fungus are actually the fruiting bodies of the fungus. In summer its shades become darker, and in autumn it usually turns black and dry, reminiscent of what happens to plants when they die.
The fruiting body or sporocarp of the dead man’s finger fungus is a multicellular structure on which others are formed that produce the spores, and although it is good news to know that you are looking at a fungus and not a zombie apocalypse or a real dead man, the presence of Xylaria polymorpha is not exactly good news, why?
As a saprophytic fungus, it is found in areas with dead or decaying wood, which means the tree is diseased, as it never appears on healthy trees. Instead, infected trees start with lesions on the bark, but their roots may also be affected, which gradually rot.
If it develops inside the tree, the tree’s structure decays rapidly and it must be removed immediately before it becomes a danger, as it can suddenly fall. But it’s not all bad news: they also clean up dead organic matter, decomposing it so that plants can use it as nutrients.
Where to find it
Generally, it can be found in the forested areas of Mexico, Nicaragua and particularly in the United States. It is easily identified by its elongated stroma, which resembles pieces of burned wood.
This story was originally published in Spanish by Perla Vallejo in Ecoosfera.
