FRIENDS

                   OF

           BRIERDENE

friendsofbrierdene.org.uk

This page will contain photos and information on all the New Species.

If we run out of new species we will use this page to display information on some of the species found in the Dene.

Total Number of Recorded Species in the Brierdene  31/12/2020

Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon

Also known as stag’s horn fungus or candlestick fungus

Photos below are from the Internet

Habitat: deadwood of broadleaved trees and moss, fruits all year round, especially during autumn and winter

Fruit bodies (ascocarps) are cylindrical or flattened with dimensions of 3–8 centimetres (1.2–3.1 in) tall × 2–8 mm thick

Fungi play an important role within our ecosystems, helping to recycle nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter, and providing food and shelter for different animals.

While it seems to refer to a relevant physical comparison, the common name Candlesnuff Fungus is something of an enigma.

It suggests something that once emitted light but no longer does so; however, in reality it is a bioluminescent fungus, and in a really dark place it can be seen to emit light continually as phosphorus accumulated within the mycelium reacts with oxygen and other chemicals in the fungus.

Unfortunately the amount of light from this and most other bioluminescent fungi is very weak indeed, and to see it clearly you need either an image intensifier (such as those built into night sights) or to take a long-exposure photograph in a totally dark room.

Species Information