King Alfred's cakes
Daldinia concentrica · 黑轮层炭壳
Occasional炭团菌科❓ Inedible
Non-toxic, but woody or intensely bitter in texture — not eaten as food.
The same species can be described differently across regions and stages of maturity, and countless look-alike species cannot be told apart by eye. Never use the information on this page to judge whether a real mushroom is safe to eat.
How to Tell
- Dark brown and hemispherical, like a charred loaf
- Cut surface shows alternating silver-gray and black concentric rings
- Grows on dead hardwood, hard in texture
ID notes are compiled by AI from public sources, not reviewed by a mycologist, for learning only — never a basis for foraging.
Basics
- Family
- 炭团菌科
- Hymenium
- Smooth
- Grows On
- Wood
- How Big
- 2–6 cm (overall size)
- Encounter Rate
- Occasional
- Habitat
- Dead branches of ash and other hardwoods
Fun Fact
Cut it open and you'll find concentric black-and-white rings like tree growth rings; once dried, it catches fire easily and smolders for a long time, a classic natural tinder in the wild.
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