King Alfred’s Cakes

Daldinia concentrica (Bolton) Ces. & De Not., syn.: Daldinia intermedia (Lloyd) Child, Hypoxylon concentricum (Bolton) Grev., Valsa tuberosa Scop., Sphaeria tuberosa (Scop.) Timm

Carbon Balls, Coal Fungus, Cramp Balls, King Alfred's Cakes, DE:
Slo.: slojevita oglarka
Dat.: July 6. 2010
Lat.: 46.17522 Long.: 13.72071
Code: Bot_433/2010_IMG1243

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.

Place: Tolmin region; southwest of the town and southeast of rubbish dump Volče, right bank of river Soča, Posočje, Slovenia EC.

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.

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Reply to Flickr comment:
mangosteen queen 12h

What are those white flecks on the fruiting bodies? (relate to Daldinia concentrica observation)

First I thought they are some kind of seeds and haven't paid much attention to them. But, motivated by your question, zooming maximally into my high resolution pictures reveals this was wrong. Seems the things are attached to the surface of the fungus. They don't seem to me to be of fungal origin. I would guess they are of insect origin. Either some kind of eggs or cocoons. One of them seems to be already empty. Interesting! But I am too ignorant to say more. See the last (added) picture to the album Daldinia concentrica.

Published on Nov 6, 2014

In this Video Fozz from Forrester Bushcraft shows how to find & identify The Daldinia concentrica Fungi. This fungi grows predominantly on dead Ash trees, however can ocasionaly be found growing on beech. Once dried this fungi can then be used to take a spark and start a fire, giving you an instant 'coal' or ember as the heart of a young fire.

Published on Jun 10, 2012

Daldinia concentrica tinder fungus

Published on Jun 29, 2017

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.

Geo location: 51.97683 4.16942