King Alfred let the cakes burn

One more common fungus.

This fungus Daldinia concentrica, also known as King Alfred's Cakes or Cramp Balls (a more uncomfortable name), grows on dead ash wood.  With the possible increase in ash die-back there may be a lot of it about in the coming years.  

Underneath the 'cake' you can see the concentric rings, like the rings in trees, which give it its Latin name concentrica.

There is also a mysterious channel of white dust in my example specimen.  I'm guessing that this is the fras left by some kind of insect larva.

Apparently there is a beetle, the Cramp Ball Weevil (Platyrhinus resinosus) which feeds on these fungi.  Maybe it's him.  

Photo: Naturespot