Brittle Cinder
This fungus is the kiss of death to any tree that becomes infected. There is no cure. It enters the tree through wounds in the lower trunk or through the roots with root contact with other infected roots. it attacks and rots the heartwood of the tree, weakening it to the point that it snaps easily in windy conditions. Infected trees should be removed as they will infect other trees and pose a danger should the tree snap and fall. No part should be ground into mulch or chips. The fungus initially feeds on cellulose but later will attack lignin also. If the tree falls, the fungus lives on in the stumps or logs, making it a facultative parasite. Its presence is revealed in the spring by small gray or white patches with a cushion-like soft texture and white border. These crusts may become confluent and reach 6 inches or more across. The furry gray phase does not persist. With the wheel of the seasons, the cushions turn black and brittle, crumbly and utterly unappealing, similar to charcoal. The spores form in small asci buried in the context as there are no cuplike apothecia. Kretzschmaria attacks hardwoods such as oak, beech and hackberry, but in the PNW it attacks primarily maple. It has no noticeable odor, nor is it edible but who would even consider trying a piece of the deathly black charcoal-appearing crust.