Candlesnuff fungus

Xylaria hypoxylon

"Xylaria hypoxylon" is an inedible species of fungus in the genus "Xylaria". 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.
Xylaria hypoxylon a more mature specimen - love that it looks like moose antlers Geotagged,United States,Xylaria hypoxylon

Appearance

Fruit bodies are cylindrical or flattened with dimensions of 3–8 centimetres tall × 2–8 mm thick. The erect ascocarps are often twisted or bent, and typically sparsely branched, often in a shape resembling a stag's antlers. Specimens found earlier in the season, in spring, may be covered completely in asexual spores, which manifests itself as a white to grayish powdery deposit. Later in the season, mature ascocarps are charcoal-black, and have minute pimple-like bumps called perithecia on the surface. These are minute rounded spore bearing structures with tiny holes, or ostioles, for the release of sexual spores. The perithecia are embedded in the flesh of the ascocarp, the stroma, which is tough, elastic, and white. Within the perithecia, the asci are 100 × 8 µm.

Ascospores are kidney-shaped, black, and smooth, with dimensions of 10–14 × 4–6 µm. The asexual spores are ellipsoid in shape, smooth, and hyaline.
Xylaria hypoxylon (candlesnuff fungus) Candlesnuff fungus,Geotagged,Malaysia,Winter,Xylaria hypoxylon

Naming

"Xylaria polymorpha" is thicker and not as branched as "X. hypoxylon".

References:

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