Candlesnuff Fungus - Xylaria hypoxylon

Description

This white or greyish fungus is usually between 2 and 5 cm high, and soon becomes flattened and antler like in appearance, the upper branches powdered white most of the time. It goes on fruiting on stumps and fallen branches through late autumn and winter with white spores, then in spring it loses the white tips and sends out a different form of black spore for a few weeks.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

On dead wood

When to see it

All year round

UK Status

Common and widespread in Britain

VC55 Status

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Candlesnuff Fungus
Species group:
Fungi
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Xylariales
Family:
Xylariaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
326
First record:
23/10/2004 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
21/01/2024 (Brown, Jennifer)

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% of records within its species group

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