'Dead man's fingers' a rare fungal find in Colorado

If you spend a lot of time exploring Colorado, you might – might – have spotted a very peculiar fungus commonly known as 'dead man's fingers' for its unsightly appearance.

Scientifically known as 'Xylaria polymorpha,' the dead man's fingers fungus is known for its elongated upright growth, varied in color and sometimes capped with a white that forms what looks like a 'fingernail.'

Xylaria polymorpha is typically found in wooded areas, near the base of rotting or damaged tree stumps. The fungus is attached to the rotting wood, but may pop up from the dirt if wood is buried.

On par with its unsettling appearance, the Xylaria polymorpha contains certain compounds that are found in some of the most dangerous mushrooms in the world, thus is not considered to be edible.

When it comes to finding the Xylaria polymorpha in the Rocky Mountain region, it's spotted on rare occasion but can occur. The fungal species is more commonly found in the eastern half of the country. Even still, if you happen to be hiking in Colorado and spot finger-like figures poking out of the dirt near an old tree stump, know that it's probably this fungus and not something more gruesome.