Carbon Ball Fungus
Posted by WiseAcre on Sep 19th, 2009
2009
Sep 19
Carbon Balls are perennial mushrooms that grow on dead hardwoods forming hard globe like forms. Each reproductive growth cycle creates a inner section that when exposed resembles tree rings.
Daldinia concentrica
Break open one of these brown – black mushrooms and you can see why they’re called Carbon Balls. The insides look charred as if burnt from the insides out and will leave what looks just like carbon on your fingers.
New growth is grayish white at first, then reddish brown and finally black. Tiny bumps on the surface are pores for spore dispersal.
These were found growing on dead thorn apple trees in the Town of Pierrepont, St. Lawrence County, NY.
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September 19th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Mushrooms that never look like muhrooms.
I have the awful feeling that the last one is a chopped palm.
September 20th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Those are amazing. They look like tumors(-: I have never seen any like that before!
September 20th, 2009 at 2:23 am
Very cool! I think I saw something similar the other day….fungi are so interesting!
September 20th, 2009 at 2:54 am
Very interesting! I use to be a biology teacher and we would take the mushrooms with gills—put them on white paper—and watch the spores make a pattern as they fell out. The kids loved it. The world of fungi is remarkable. I’m especially grateful for mushroom compost in the garden. All that underground hyphae makes great places for nutrients to hide out and the plant feet enjoy the good find. There is a little organism that feeds off the hyphae and makes your plants very happy. So much to this world of fungi that we’re only just learning.
September 20th, 2009 at 4:36 am
Hi Mr W. You never cease to amaze me with your finds.
September 20th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Your photos are incredible, although I have to say the flowers below are more to my liking than this particular bit of matter. Good shots of it anyway!
Frances
September 21st, 2009 at 12:38 am
I love mushrooms. In general. These ones look like they are out of this world.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:09 pm
I don’t know this one at all. Pretty cool
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Posts like this are why we think you’re such a fun-guy! Congratulations on your foto (almost) finish with Blotanical.