Xylariales

The Xylariales are an order of fungi within the class Sordariomycetes. These fungi are saprotrophic, meaning they obtain nutrients from dead organic matter. A key characteristic of the Xylariales is their inoperculate asci, which are sac-like structures containing spores. Some species within this order also produce white conidia.1

The genus Xylaria, which gives the order its name, is known for its erect, black, corky, or woody stromata (fruiting bodies) that bear perithecia, which are flask-shaped spore-producing structures. The family Xylariaceae, to which Xylaria belongs, is defined by dark brown to black, typically nonseptate ascospores and conidia that are borne on the surface of the stroma.23