Candlesnuff Fungus

Xylaria hypoxylon (L.) Grev.

Also called: Candle-Snuff Fungus, carbon antlers

Safety first

Many edible mushrooms have toxic lookalikes, and some of those can be fatal. Have any mushroom identified in person by a local expert before you eat it.

If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, call US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 right away. In Canada, call your provincial poison centre or 911.

Edibility

Inedible Source: Wikipedia: Xylaria hypoxylon

Classification from Wikipedia: Xylaria hypoxylon. Sources can be wrong or incomplete, and people react differently.

Never eat a wild mushroom based on this site or any app.

Photos

Photo: Sarinda Newell. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist)
Photo: Timothy McNitt. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist)
Photo: Ryan McMinds. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist)
Photo: Peter Abrahamsen. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist)

Lookalikes

No lookalikes are recorded for this species yet. That does not mean there are none. Many mushrooms look alike, so never rely on appearance alone.

Season

When this species has been recorded, by month, from open-licensed US and Canada observations. It shows when people report it, not a guarantee it is fruiting.

The highlighted bar is the current month.

View season data as a table

Recorded observations of Candlesnuff Fungus by month
Month	Records
January	202
February	92
March	72
April	69
May	87
June	167
July	156
August	193
September	175
October	392
November	381
December	201

Where it is found

States and provinces with the most records. Check the foraging rules for the place you plan to visit.

British Columbia 425 records · Foraging rules
California 395 records · Foraging rules
Washington 223 records · Foraging rules
Oregon 132 records · Foraging rules
New York 83 records · Foraging rules
Virginia 64 records · Foraging rules
Ohio 58 records · Foraging rules
Florida 54 records · Foraging rules
Pennsylvania 52 records · Foraging rules
Maryland 48 records · Foraging rules
North Carolina 45 records · Foraging rules
West Virginia 44 records · Foraging rules
Illinois 41 records · Foraging rules
Quebec 33 records · Foraging rules
Tennessee 31 records · Foraging rules

Show 37 more

Louisiana30 records
Ontario30 records
Georgia29 records
Kansas24 records
Hawaii22 records
Missouri21 records
Alabama18 records
Minnesota17 records
Texas16 records
Alaska15 records
Massachusetts14 records
Indiana13 records
South Carolina12 records
Nova Scotia12 records
Delaware12 records
Wisconsin12 records
Michigan11 records
Nebraska11 records
New Jersey11 records
Arkansas10 records
District of Columbia9 records
Kentucky9 records
New Hampshire6 records
Vermont6 records
Mississippi5 records
Utah4 records
Idaho4 records
Iowa3 records
Oklahoma3 records
Maine3 records
Connecticut2 records
Manitoba1 records
Arizona1 records
Montana1 records
Rhode Island1 records
New Mexico1 records
New Brunswick1 records

All state and province foraging laws

Identification traits

Underside (gills, pores or teeth)	smooth
Spore print color	black

Traits vary. Use them to ask better questions of an expert, not to make a final call.

About

Xylaria hypoxylon is a species of bioluminescent fungus in the family Xylariaceae. It is known by a variety of common names, such as the candlestick fungus, the candlesnuff fungus, carbon antlers, or the stag's horn fungus. The fruit bodies, characterized by erect, elongated black branches with whitened tips, typically grow in clusters on decaying hardwood. The fungus can cause a root rot in hawthorn and gooseberry plants.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the original article.