Botanical atlas

King Alfred's Cakes

Daldinia concentrica

Long before matches, woodland travelers and fire-keepers sought out these hard, charcoal-like lumps clinging to fallen ash branches. Once dried and struck with a spark, the fungus's fibrous inner flesh catches easily and holds a slow, glowing ember, which made it one of the most trusted tinders in the hedgerows of Britain and Europe. In some rural traditions, people also carried a piece of the dried fungus in a pocket as a folk charm believed to ward off muscle cramps, which is how it earned the homely name Cramp Balls. It has never held a real place in the kitchen or the herbal dispensary, but as a piece of practical woodcraft, its reputation is old and well earned.

Safety.

This tough, woody fungus has no history of safe food or medicinal use and should not be eaten or brewed. It is not known to be seriously toxic, but that does not make it safe to ingest, and correct identification matters since similar-looking deadwood fungi can be confused by an untrained eye.