The Ascomycota are a Phylum of the kingdom Fungi, and subkingdom Dikarya, whose members are commonly known as the Sac Fungi. They are the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 30,000 species.... commonly found growing on dead wood.
Two of the common species of the genus are Xylaria hypoxylon and Xylaria polymorpha
Xylaria hypoxylon, also known under the common names "Stag's Horn" or "Candle-snuff Fungus", is the most conspicuous because of its erect 3-7 cm tall, antler-like ascocarp
Ascocarp
An ascocarp, or ascoma , is the fruiting body of an ascomycete fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and may contain millions of ascus, each of which contains typically eight ascospores.... s (fruitbodies) which are black at the base (where the perithecia are embedded) but white and branched towards the top, where the fruitbodies produce white conidia (asexual spores).
Xylaria polymorpha, "Dead Man's Fingers", is black and often grows in finger-like clusters from the base of a tree or from wood just below ground level.
Xylaria Longpipes, also known under the common names "Dead Molls Fingers" or "Pénis de bois mort" allegedly improves the quality of the wood used in string instruments, in lightening its structure, in particular that of the back usually in maple.
