''Helvella'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
ascomycete
Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defi ...
fungus
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...
of the family
Helvellaceae
The Helvellaceae are a family of ascomycete fungi, the best-known members of which are the elfin saddles of the genus '' Helvella''. Originally erected by Elias Magnus Fries in 1823 as ''Elvellacei'', it contained many genera. Several of these, ...
. The
mushroom
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans.
The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...
s, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted
stem
Stem or STEM may refer to:
Plant structures
* Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang
* Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure
* Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
s, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and in Europe. Well known species include the whitish ''
H. crispa'' and the grey ''
H. lacunosa''. They have been reported to cause gastrointestinal symptoms when eaten raw.
Description
Species in ''Helvella'' have
fruiting bodies
The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...
(technically
ascocarps
An ascocarp, or ascoma (), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascocarps are mo ...
) that grow above the ground, and usually have
stems. The cup-like fruiting body (the ''apothecium'') can assume a variety of forms: it may be shaped like an ear (''auriculate''), or a saddle; it may be convex or irregularly lobed and bent. The spore-bearing surface, the
hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...
, can be smooth, wavy or wrinkled and can range in color from white to black or various shades of gray or brown. Similarly, the outer surface of the fruiting bodies can be smooth, ribbed, or have minute hairlike projections (''villi''). The stem is cylindrical and tapering or grooved and ribbed. The
flesh
Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscle
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as mu ...
is usually between 1–2 mm thick.
Species
,
Index Fungorum
''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names ( scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and the Institute of M ...
accepts 105 species of ''Helvella'':
* ''
Helvella acetabulum
''Helvella acetabulum'' is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae, order Pezizales. This relatively large cup-shaped fungus is characterized by a tan fruit body with prominent branching ribs resembling a cabbage leaf; for this reason i ...
''
* ''
Helvella adhaerens
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America an ...
''
* ''
Helvella aestivalis
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella affinis
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella agaricoides
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella albella
''Helvella albella'' is a species of fungi in the family Helvellaceae that is found in Europe and North America. It was described by French mycologist Lucien Quélet
Lucien Quélet in 1869
Lucien Quélet (14 July 1832 – 25 August 1899) was ...
''
* ''
Helvella albipes
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella arcto-alpina
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella astieri
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella aterrima
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella atra
''Helvella atra'' is a species of fungi in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales
The Pezizales are an order of the subphylum Pezizomycotina within the phylum Ascomycota. The order contains 16 families, 199 genera, and 1683 species. I ...
''
* ''
Helvella beatonii
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella branzeziana
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella brevis''
* ''
Helvella brevissima
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella bulbosa
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella capucinoides''
* ''
Helvella chinensis''
* ''
Helvella cinerella
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella compressa
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella confusa
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella connivens
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella constricta
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella corbierei''
* ''
Helvella corium
''Helvella corium'' is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales. This inedible cup-shaped fungus is black, and grows on the ground often near willows in deciduous or mixed forests. Although it has a fairly wide distr ...
''
* ''
Helvella costifera
''Helvella costifera'' is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae, Pezizales order. Its ascocarp
An ascocarp, or ascoma (), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae ...
''
* ''
Helvella crassitunicata
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella crispa
''Helvella crispa'', also known as the white saddle, elfin saddle or common helvel, is an ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushroom is readily identified by its irregularly shaped whitish cap, fluted stem, and fuzzy undersurf ...
''
* ''
Helvella cupuliformis''
* ''
Helvella dissingi
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella dovrensis
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella dryophila
''Helvella dryophila'' is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae. It is found in western North America, where it associates with oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagacea ...
''
* ''
Helvella dura''
* ''
Helvella elastica
''Helvella elastica'', commonly known as the flexible Helvella, or the elastic saddle, is a species of fungi in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales. It is found in Asia, Europe, and North America. It has a roughly saddle-shaped yello ...
''
* ''
Helvella engleriana''
* ''
Helvella ephippioides
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella ephippium
''Helvella ephippium'' is a species of fungi in the family Helvellaceae, Pezizales order. It appears in summer and autumn as an upright white stem up to tall supporting a greyish-brown saddle-shaped cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a ...
''
* ''
Helvella faulknerae''
* ''
Helvella favrei
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella fibrosa''
* ''
Helvella flavida''
* ''
Helvella foetida''
* ''
Helvella fuegiana''
* ''
Helvella fusca''
* ''
Helvella galeriformis''
* ''
Helvella glutinosa
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted Plant stem, stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North A ...
''
* ''
Helvella griseoalba
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella hegani
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella helvellula
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella hyperborea''
* ''
Helvella javanica
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella jiaohensis
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella jilinensis
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella jimsarica''
* ''
Helvella juniperi''
* ''
Helvella lactea''
* ''
Helvella lacunosa
''Helvella lacunosa'', known as the slate grey saddle or fluted black elfin saddle in North America, simply as the elfin saddle in Britain, is an ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. It is one of the most common species in the genus '' ...
''
* ''
Helvella latispora
''Helvella latispora'' is a species of fungi in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales. Ascocarps appear in late summer and autumn as pale stems up to 5 cm in height topped by a greyish saddle shaped cap.
Edibility
Consumption of t ...
''
* ''
Helvella leucomelaena
''Dissingia leucomelaena'', commonly known as the white-footed elf cup, is a species of fungi in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales. As its common name implies, it is characterized by the white coloring of its stem.
Description
The d ...
''
* ''
Helvella leucopus
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella macropus''
* ''
Helvella maculata''
* ''
Helvella maroccana
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted Plant stem, stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North A ...
''
* ''
Helvella menzeliana''
* ''
Helvella mesatlantica
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted Plant stem, stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North A ...
''
* ''
Helvella minor''
* ''
Helvella monachella''
* ''
Helvella oblongispora''
* ''
Helvella pallidula
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella papuensis''
* ''
Helvella paraphysitorquata
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella pedunculata
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella pezizoides''
* ''
Helvella philonotis''
* ''
Helvella phlebophora''
* ''
Helvella pileata''
* ''
Helvella platycephala''
* ''
Helvella platypodia''
* ''
Helvella pocillum
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella pulchra''
* ''
Helvella quadrisulca''
* ''
Helvella queletiana
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted Plant stem, stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North A ...
''
* ''
Helvella queletii
''Helvella queletii'' is a species of fungi in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales
The Pezizales are an order of the subphylum Pezizomycotina within the phylum Ascomycota. The order contains 16 families, 199 genera, and 1683 spec ...
''
* ''
Helvella rivularis''
* ''
Helvella robusta''
* ''
Helvella rossica
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted Plant stem, stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North A ...
''
* ''
Helvella schaefferi
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella scrobiculata''
* ''
Helvella semiobruta
''Helvella semiobruta'' is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae. Originally found in the country of France, it was described as new to science in 1976. It has also been collected in Greece, and Cyprus, where it grows in maquis shrublan ...
''
* ''
Helvella sinensis''
* ''
Helvella solida
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella solitaria''
* ''
Helvella subfusispora
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted Plant stem, stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North A ...
''
* ''
Helvella subglabra''
* ''
Helvella taiyuanensis
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella terrestris''
* ''
Helvella ulvinenii''
* ''
Helvella umbraculiformis''
* ''
Helvella underwoodii
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella unicolor
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella vacini
''Helvella'' is a genus of ascomycete fungus of the family Helvellaceae. The mushrooms, commonly known as elfin saddles, are identified by their irregularly shaped caps, fluted stems, and fuzzy undersurfaces. They are found in North America and i ...
''
* ''
Helvella verruculosa''
* ''
Helvella vespertina
''Helvella vespertina'' is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae. It is found in Western North America under conifers. Some specimens have a white moldy appearance, having been colonised by the parasitic Ascomycete fungus ''Hypomyces cer ...
''
* ''
Helvella xinjiangensis''
* ''
Helvella zhongtiaoensis
''Helvella zhongtiaoensis'' is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae. It is found in China, where it grows in the forest under ''Pinus tabulaeformis
''Pinus tabuliformis'', also called Manchurian red pine, Southern Chinese pine or Chi ...
''
See also
*
Elfin saddle {{Short description, Name for several species of fungus
The common name elfin saddle is given to a number of Ascomycete fungi in the order Pezizales. These medium to small fungi often have irregular saddle-shaped caps. Species include:
*''Gyrom ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1514169
Pezizales genera