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Daldinia concentrica |
Common referred to as King Alfred's Cakes, these hard, inedible
fungi appear most often on ash and beech wood. Inside the fruitbody
there are concentric silver-grey and black layers.
Identification guide |
Description |
Initially brown and dense, the fruitbodies
of Daldinia concentrica soon turn black, dry out and become less
dense.
There is no stipe; the fruitbody is attached to the host wood by a broad, flat area underneath the cushion-shaped fruitbody. The spore-bearing surface is the outside of the fruitbody, and spores leavce a slightly darker area of wood around the fungus. |
Dimensions |
Individual fruit bodies are typically 2 to 8 cm across, but several may merge to form a much larger compound outgrowth. |
Spore print |
Black. |
Odour/taste |
Not distinctive. |
Habitat |
On dead or dying wood of ash trees. A very similar species occurs on beech. |
Season |
New fruit bodies appear from mid summer through to the end of autumn, but old, dried out fruit bodies sometimes persist for a year or two. |
Occurrence |
Frequent. |
Similar species |
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