Artist's Bracket

Description:

It is a wood-decay fungus, using primarily dead heartwood, but also as a pathogen on live sapwood, particularly on older trees. It is a common cause of decay and death of beech and poplar, and less often of several other tree genera. A peculiarity of this fungus lies in its ability to be as a drawing medium for artists. When the surface is rubbed or scratched with a sharp implement, it changes from light to dark brown, producing visible lines and shading.

Habitat:

The area where I found this specimen is a transition region between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest

Notes:

I found this specimen at the root of a Mango Tree. Look how it was in Dec 15, 2012 [ http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/170... ]