Quick Facts

Scientific name:  Daldinia concentrica

Size:  Up to 7cm across

Distribution:  Found throughout the U.K.

Months seen:  All year. They are quite a tough fungi and can remain on trees for a long time, becoming brittle with age. Fresh ones appear between June and November

Habitat:  Usually found on the dead wood of Ash trees

Special features:  King Alfred's Cakes are a poisonous, black coloured fungi.  As you can see from the photos, these fungi do have the appearance of burnt cakes, and became linked to the legend of King Alfred burning the cakes.  They're also sometimes called 'cramp balls'.

If you cut through one of these 'cakes' you'll notice it's made up of dozens of concentric rings.  This is where the Latin name 'concentrica' comes from.

Related Pages

• UK Safari Fungi Section
• Identify other wildlife
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