King Alfred's Cakes (Daldinia concentrica)

The inedible fungus ''Daldinia concentrica'' is known by several common names, including King Alfred's Cake, cramp balls, and coal fungus. It can be found in North America, South America and Europe, where it lives on dead and decaying wood, especially on felled ash trees. It is a common, widespread saprotroph.

The fungus is ball-shaped, with a hard, friable, shiny black fruiting body 2 to 7 centimeters wide. It resembles a chunk of coal, which gives it several of its common names, including.. more