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Daldinia concentrica; Carbon Balls   

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Daldinia concentrica
Daldinia concentrica
Carbon Balls
Photographer: Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy

ID: 0000 0000 0318 0791 (2018-03-05)

Copyright © 2018 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy

 
INFORMATION PROVIDED WITH THE PHOTO
  • date of photo  Jul 6, 2010
  • latitude 46.17522   longitude 13.72071     View on Google Maps.
  • location   Tolmin region; southwest of the town and east of rubbish dump Volče, right bank of river Soča. (Posočje, Slovenia)
  • notes   Slo.: slojevita oglarka - syn.: Daldinia intermedia (Lloyd) Child, Hypoxylon concentricum (Bolton) Grev., Valsa tuberosa Scop., Sphaeria tuberosa (Scop.) Timm - Habitat: wood edge, hop hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) dominant tree; not far from river bank; almost flat terrain; calcareous, alluvial ground; half shade, relatively warm place; exposed to direct rain; average precipitations 2.000-2.600 mm/year, average temperature 10-12 deg C, elevation 185 m (600 feet), borderline between alpine and sub-mediterranean phytogeographical region. - Substratum: fallen, dead and partly disintegrated thick branch of broadleaved tree, most probably Fagus sylvatica, possibly Acer spp. - Comments: Daldinia concentrica is a quite common ascomycete, also in Slovenia. Its 'balls' are reddish or rusty-brown at first becoming black and shiny resembling charcoal. Flesh is conspicuously concentrically zoned when cut vertically. One can find it mostly on Fagus sylvatica but also on other broadleaved trees. There appears little possibility to misidentify it in Slovenia since all other species of the genus Daldinia are very rare. - English vernacular name King Alfred's Cakes is based on the following legend. King Alfred was hiding in a country home during war time. Unaware of his identity, the mistress of the house put him in charge of watching the baking of the cakes in the oven. King fell asleep and the cakes burned. Daldinia concentrica apparently resembles these cakes. - Growing gregariously in several groups all along the fallen branch. Tens of fruit bodies present. - Ref.: (1) G. Medardi, Atlante fotografico degli Ascomiceti d'Italia, A.M.B. Centro Studi Micologici (2012) (in Italian with English keys), p 321. (2) M.W.Beug, A.E. Bessette, A.R. Bessette, Ascomycete Fungi of North America, University of Texas Press, Austin (2014), p 293. (3) R. Phillips, Mushrooms, Macmillan (2006), p 375. (4) J. Breitenbach, F. Kraenzlin, Eds., Fungi of Switzerland, Vol.1. Verlag Mykologia (1984), p 274.
  • camera   Camera: Canon G11, 6.1-30mm/f2.8-4.5
  • contributor's ID #  Bot_433/2010_IMG1243
  • photo category: Fungi - fungi

  • MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS FUNGUS
  • common names   Carbon Balls, Coal Fungus, Cramp Balls, King Alfred's Cakes (photographer)
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    Using this photo   The thumbnail photo (128x192 pixels) on this page may be freely used for personal or academic purposes without prior permission under the Fair Use provisions of US copyright law as long as the photo is clearly credited with © 2018 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy. For other uses, or if you have questions, contact Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy amadej.trnkoczy[AT]siol.net. (Replace the [AT] with the @ symbol before sending an email.)


     

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