Conk!

Day 146: This is a bracket fungus or shelf fungus, otherwise known colloquially as a conk. Mind you don't confuse a conk with a conker which, as you may know, is a horse chestnut and the implement used in a rather hazardous game played by British children and now banned in most schools. The name "conker" becomes obvious to players in a very short time, but that's another subject entirely. I first encountered the term "conk" in reference to a bracket fungus somewhat late in life and was curious with regard to its etymology. The results of my research into the word's origin were inconclusive, although many experts seem to hold that it most likely originated in "conch" (a shell with a somewhat similar shape), and "conk" is an accepted pronunciation for "conch." Trust me, you would not want to play conkers with conks like these!