Krechmaria ordinary (Kretzschmaria deusta)
Systematics:
- Department: Ascomycota (Ascomycetes)
- Subdivision: Pezizomycotina (Pesizomycotins)
- Class: Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
- Subclass: Xylariomycetidae (Xylariomycetes)
- Order: Xylariales (Xilariaceae)
- Family: Xylariaceae (Xilariaceae)
- Genus: Kretzschmaria (Krechmaria)
- Species: Kretzschmaria deusta (Common Krechmaria)
Synonyms:
-
Ustulina ordinary
- Tinder fungus fragile
- Ustulina deusta
- Ustulina vulgaris
- Sphaeria deusta
- Sphaeria fraxinea
- Lycoperdon fraxineum
- Hypoxylon ustulatum
- Nemania deusta
- Discosphaera deusta
- Stromatosphaeria deusta
- Hypoxylon deustum
Krechmaria ordinary can be known by its outdated name 'Ustulina ordinary'.
Description
Fruiting bodies appear in spring. They are soft, outstretched, rounded or lobed, can be very irregular in shape, with beads and folds, from 4 to 10 cm in diameter and 3-10 mm thick, often merging (then the entire conglomerate can reach 50 cm in length), with a smooth surface, first white, then gray with a white edge. This is the asexual stage. As they ripen, the fruiting bodies become lumpy, hard, black, with a rough surface, on which the raised tops of the perithecia, immersed in the whitish tissue, stand out. They are easily separated from the substrate. Dead fruit bodies are coal-black throughout their entire thickness and fragile.
Black-purple spore powder.
The specific name 'deusta' comes from the appearance of the old fruit bodies – black, as if burned out. From here comes one of the English names for this mushroom – carbon cushion, which translates as 'coal cushion'.
Season and distribution
The period of active growth from spring to autumn, in mild climates all year round.
A common species in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It settles on living deciduous trees, on bark, most often at the very roots, less often on trunks and branches. It continues to grow even after the death of the tree, on flesh and logs, thus being an optional parasite. Causes soft wood rot, and destroys it very quickly. Often black lines can be seen on the cut of an infected tree.
Edibility
The mushroom is inedible.
