Giant True Tinder Polypore - side view
This species of fungi is quite remarkable. It is huge and hard like a rock, and can live for decades. It's also of economic value to some. It can be used to make some kind of leather from, to make hats from, to use as tinder to create a fire, and some believe it has medical value (it doesn't).
As such, you're encouraged never to pinpoint the exact location of such a find, as it likely will get stolen. That would be more than just a visual miss, as the species is also known to house some rare beetles.
"Fomes fomentarius" is a species of fungal plant pathogen found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The species produces very large polypore fruit bodies which are shaped like a horse's hoof and vary in colour from a silvery grey to almost black, though they are normally brown. It grows on the side of various species of tree, which it infects through broken bark, causing rot.
