Xylaria sp. of Sarawak / Borneo – around 950m ASL.

The ascomycete genus Xylaria (family Xylariaceae, order Xylariales, class Sordariomycetes, phylum Ascomycota) comprises fungi commonly referred to in German as “Holzkeulen” (“wood clubs”). In nomenclatural databases, the genus is cited as Xylaria Hill ex Schrank, with the original place of publication given as Baiersche Flora 1:200; the publication year is recorded as 1786 in some sources and as 1789 in others. The generic name is etymologically derived from Greek xýlon (“wood”), reflecting the frequent association of these fungi with woody substrates. Ecologically, Xylaria species are predominantly saprobes on decaying hardwood but are also documented from other plant-derived substrates such as fruits, seeds, and leaf litter; in tropical systems, members of the genus are additionally reported as common endophytes of plants. For Borneo, a published macrofungal checklist from the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (Sabah, Malaysia) reports four morphologically distinct, unidentified taxa recorded as Xylaria sp. 1–4, classified there as saprophytic and non-edible.