Tinder Fungus

Fomes fomentarius is a perennial wood-decay basidiomycete found in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, producing large, hoof-shaped polypore fruiting bodies that vary in color from silvery grey to almost black, though they are normally brown. It develops on the trunks of various hardwood species and is associated with white rot in the underlying wood; traditionally described as a plant pathogen, experimental studies have also reported its occurrence as a latent stem endophyte within apparently healthy trees.