Daldinia childiae

Appearance

Fruiting Body: 7–32 mm across; 10–20 mm tall; shaped more or less like a ball, cushion, or pear; sometimes featuring a poorly defined pseudostem; surface hard, smooth at first, becoming pimply, pinkish brown, reddish brown, dark brown or, eventually, nearly black; interior with concentric zones of blackish and whitish or grayish, carbon-like flesh; outer layer at maturity with embedded black perithecia.

Distribution

Widely distributed in North America, but especially common east of the Rocky Mountains.

Habitat

Saprobic on decaying hardwood logs and, infrequently, conifer logs; growing alone or gregariously, directly from the wood; spring through fall (or over winter in warm climates)—but the tough fruiting bodies often last over winter