Appearance
Fruiting Body: 7–32 mm across; 10–20 mm tall; shaped more or less like a ball, cushion, or pear; sometimes featuring a poorly defined pseudostem; surface hard, smooth at first, becoming pimply, pinkish brown, reddish brown, dark brown or, eventually, nearly black; interior with concentric zones of blackish and whitish or grayish, carbon-like flesh; outer layer at maturity with embedded black perithecia.Distribution
Widely distributed in North America, but especially common east of the Rocky Mountains.Habitat
Saprobic on decaying hardwood logs and, infrequently, conifer logs; growing alone or gregariously, directly from the wood; spring through fall (or over winter in warm climates)—but the tough fruiting bodies often last over winterReferences:
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