· Fruitbodies typically cushioned-shaped to round, may be crust-like, erect, or cylindric to club-shaped or antler-like
· Fertile surface finely roughened like sandpaper as a result of numerous flask-shaped reproductive structures called perithecia
· Found often on decaying hardwoods and at times on the ground
· Typically fibrous-tough to woody
· Many are hard, black, and carbonaceous
· Most are inedible