Brittle cinder

Description:

The fruit body of Ustulina deusta forms irregular wavy cushions or encrusting the substrate, it is greyish white in the early stages, soon becoming brittle enough to crush between the fingers and finally black and very brittle resembling charred wood.

Habitat:

Parasitic on the roots and lower trunks of living hardwood trees, notably oaks, beeches, limes and rather less often on various acers and other hardwood trees, Brittle cinder continues to consume the timber once its host has died. Infected trees are prone to sudden collapse, and so infected specimens near to buildings, roads or other vulnerable structures may require felling.

Notes:

Spotted on the trunk of a dead European beech in rural area of Deventer, Holland.