Please ID this strange lump

[Dawniee]

My mum was doing the gardening and came across this thing. She has given me the task of indentifying it so I would really appreciate any help you could offer.

It's very hard, stuck to the wood and here's a photo.

I should probably mention that the wood it's attached to is a section of tree just placed on the ground for decorative purposes. The thing wasn't there when the stump was first placed there last year so it's grown fairly quickly, I suppose.

[cybershot]

Looks suspiciously like Daldinia concentrica - King Alfred's Cakes, but I could be mistaken.

(If you remove it and cut a section through it, the concentic rings should be evident.)

David

[NickCantle]

I'd second that suggestion David- that tree looks like Fraxinus too, from what I can see

[The Woodman]

Hi Dawniee

It looks like a King Alfreds Cake fungi to me. They are usually found on Ash trees which looks like the tree section in your image.

Have a look at

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/cons...-alfreds-cake/

for a fuller description.

[Dawniee]

Wow! Thanks very much! You guys are awesome

I never thought I'd get some responses so quickly. I suppose the mystery is solved now! I just have to work out what to do with it. I'm thinking of pulling it off, slicing it up and seeing if I can light it once it's dried? Assuming my mum doesn't decide she wants to keep it like some kind of pet...

I'm not too sure what species of tree it's growing on, but here's a photo of the rest of it... I saw this tree while on a walk and may or may not have collected a section

[The Woodman]

It's definately an Ash tree. Good luck with your new aquisition.