Dead Moll's Fingers

Appearance

The species has a roughly club-shaped fruit body measuring from 2 to 8 centimetres in height, and reaching a thickness of up to 2 centimetres . The top is rounded, while the stem can be fairly long . The colour of the body's surface varies with age; younger specimens fairly gray or fairly brown, but they darken with age, becoming black. As the fruit body ages, the surface cracks and develops scales. ''X. longipes'' differs from the similar ''Xylaria polymorpha'' by being somewhat more slender, by having a more distinct stalk, and by its smaller spores. While ''X. longipes'' has spores measuring 12 to 16 by 5 to 7 micrometres , the spores of ''X. polymorpha'' measure 20 to 32 by 5 to 9 μm. The spindle-shaped spores of ''X. longipes'' have a smooth surface but for germ slits.

Distribution

This fungus is known from Europe, Asia, and North America. It is a saprotroph, growing directly from dead wood from hardwoods, including both fallen branches and stumps. It causes soft rot in its host. In Europe, it favours the wood of sycamores, while collections in North America have favoured the wood of maples and beeches. The species can grow singly or in groups, and is more likely to grow singly than ''X polymorpha''.

Habitat

This fungus is known from Europe, Asia, and North America. It is a saprotroph, growing directly from dead wood from hardwoods, including both fallen branches and stumps. It causes soft rot in its host. In Europe, it favours the wood of sycamores, while collections in North America have favoured the wood of maples and beeches. The species can grow singly or in groups, and is more likely to grow singly than ''X polymorpha''.

Uses

''Xylaria longipes'' is inedible, but a 2008 study concluded that the species could improve wood for the purposes of making violins. A number of chemicals have been derived from the fungus, including the antifungal xylaramide, the antioxidant tyrosol, and a derivative of the antifungal compound sordarin, a chemical first isolated from ''Sordaria araneosa''.