Dead man’s fingers are our creepy lifeform of the week

What is that? Don’t worry, the dead are not rising from their graves nor has the zombie apocalypse arrived. As far as we know …

You will not be the first nor the last person to see human fingers in these images. Despite its disturbing appearance, there is nothing to fear. I present to you a very curious fungus called Xylaria polymorpha.

This fungus has a humorous but accurate nickname of dead man’s fingers.

Has the zombie apocalypse arrived?

Imagine one day you’re walking through the peaceful countryside and you see this. You’re welcome, I saved you from having a heart attack. Now you know it’s not what it looks like.

The roots of this fungus emerge from the ground to obtain light. These beings are just trying to live.

Where to find these living fungi

You can find these fungi in wooded areas of all six inhabited continents. They’ll be on stumps and the dead wood of trees, especially beech trees. They grow inside rotten or cracked wood.

The fungus does not kill the tree. It only grows on already dead or dying wood and feeds on dead matter. This process is saprotrophy or saprotrophic nutrition.

Fungi already existed 400 million years ago. They are essential for breaking down dead plants and animals into nutrients that can be used by new plants growing in the soil.

Can you eat dead man’s fingers?

Surely, when you see this creepy plant, you’re probably not thinking, I’m going to prepare a delicious dish with these dead man’s fingers. Trust your guts. They look deadly, and indeed they are. These fungi are poisonous. All Xylaria contain amatoxin and phallotoxin, which are two compounds found in some of the world’s most poisonous mushrooms.

They become toxic when they enter your digestive system. And even if you see mushrooms that look colorful and beautiful, this might be a trick. Think of those frogs that look beautiful but are also poisonous.

On the other hand, humans try to find a use for everything. Scientists are investigating these fungi for medicinal and other pharmacological applications thanks to their antimicrobial, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

More on the dead man’s fingers

The word Xylaria comes from the Greek xýlon and means wood. The genus Xylaria includes about 100 species of fungi. Furthermore, the word Polymorpha means many forms.

Thus, these fungi can have domed or cylindrical shapes to more elongated or slender ones. Sometimes they can be somewhat deformed, with various protuberances. They have a smooth to rough external surface that only cracks over time.

The most developed specimens can measure up to 4 inches (10 cm) high. In terms of thickness, they reach 1.2 inches (3 cm) at their widest.

In general, they’re dark colored, usually black or brown. Sometimes they have bluish or greenish tones. Unlike its exterior, the interior is white. If you cut them in half, you can see a spike-shaped interior.

This fungus tends to grow in groups. Rarely will you find a single dead man’s finger.

Bottom line: Zombies are not awakening, as far as we know … If you see what looks like dead man’s fingers in the forest, you probably saw a creepy type of fungus.

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