It is hard as stone. The Cramp Ball is not soft, fleshy, or delicate. It is a dense, spherical mass of fungal tissue, black and glossy like polished coal. It attaches firmly to dead branches, often persisting long after the wood has rotted away. The surface is smooth, sometimes cracked with age, but always dark. It does not have a cap or stem. It is a ball, a lump, a presence. Break it open, and the interior reveals concentric rings of grey and black, like the layers of an onion. These rings mark years of growth, each layer a season of spore production. The danger is not obvious. Like many bracket fungi, it is not edible. It is too hard to chew, too woody to digest. It is best left alone. Its beauty is in its structure, not its flavour. The Cramp Ball releases spores from tiny pores on its surface, invisible to the naked eye. These spores are carried by the wind to new hosts, starting the cycle anew. The fungus does not rush. It waits for the wood to die, then consumes it slowly, methodically. This fungus is saprotrophic. It does not form mycorrhizal relationships with trees. Instead, it feeds on decaying organic matter, breaking down dead wood. In doing so, it releases nutrients back into the soil. It is a recycler, working in the shadows of the forest. Without it, the debris would pile up. The forest floor would stagnate. The Cramp Ball is efficient. It consumes what is dead to feed what is living. Its hardness is a defence, ensuring that few creatures compete for this resource. Cramp Balls are found throughout New Zealand, from the northern forests to the southern beech lands. They fruit year-round, though they are most visible in autumn and winter when the wood is damp. They are not picky about their host, thriving on a variety of broadleaf trees, particularly ash. Their presence is a sign of decay in progress. Where they grow, lignin is being broken down. Nutrients are being released. The cycle continues. Threats are minimal. The species is widespread and common. However, it is sensitive to changes in moisture and soil structure. Logging, fire, or heavy grazing can disrupt the delicate mycelial networks beneath the forest floor. Recovery is slow. The fungi wait for the conditions to return. They do not rush. It carries on.