''Helvella elastica'', commonly known as the flexible Helvella, or the elastic saddle, is a species of

fungi 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 ...

in 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, ...

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. It contains a number of species of economic importance, such as morels, the black and white tr ...

. It is found in Asia, Europe, and North America. It has a roughly saddle-shaped yellow-brown

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

atop a whitish stipe, and grows on soil in woods. Another colloquial name is the brown elfin saddle.

Description

The

fruit body In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the Ovary (plants), ovary after flowering plant, flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their ...

of the fungus is grayish or olive-brown, saddle- or mitral-shaped (i.e., resembling a double

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

) and is attached only to the top of the stipe; it may be up to wide. The underside is white. The stipe is white, solid or filled with loosely stuffed

hyphae A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one or ...

, has a smooth surface, and is up to long by thick. 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 ...

of ''H. elastica'' is brittle and thin. The odor and taste of this mushroom are not distinctive.

Microscopic characteristics

The

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s are oblong to elliptical in shape, translucent (

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

), contain one central oil drop (''guttulate''), and have dimensions of 18–22 by 10–14

µm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

; young spores have coarse surface warts, while older ones are smooth. The spore-bearing cells, the

asci ASCI or Asci may refer to: * Advertising Standards Council of India * Asci, the plural of ascus, in fungal anatomy * Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative * American Society for Clinical Investigation * Argus Sour Crude Index * Association of ...

, are 260 by 17–19 µm. The

paraphyses Paraphyses are erect sterile filament-like support structures occurring among the reproductive apparatuses of fungi, ferns, bryophytes and some thallophytes. The singular form of the word is paraphysis. In certain fungi, they are part of the fe ...

(sterile cells interspersed between the asci) are club-shaped, filled with oil drops, sometimes branched, and are 6–10 µm at the apex.

Edibility

Consumption of this fungus is not recommended as similar species in the family

contain the toxin

gyromitrin Gyromitrin is a toxin and carcinogen present in several members of the fungal genus ''Gyromitra'', like '' G. esculenta''. Its formula is . It is unstable and is easily hydrolyzed to the toxic compound monomethylhydrazine . Monomethylhydrazin ...

Habitat and distribution

This fungus is typically found fruiting singly, scattered, or clustered together on the ground or on wood in

coniferous Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extant ...

and

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

woods. It has been found in Europe, North America (in "western states and provinces"), Japan, and China. It is present in summer and fall.

Similar species

The closely related fungus '' Helvella albipes'' has a thicker stipe and a two- to four-lobed cap. Another similar species, '' H. latispora'', has cap edges that are curled upward, rather than inward as in ''H. elastica''.

Fibrinolytic activity

A 2005 Korean study investigated the ability of extracts from 67 different mushroom species to perform

fibrinolysis Fibrinolysis is a process that prevents blood clots from growing and becoming problematic. Primary fibrinolysis is a normal body process, while secondary fibrinolysis is the breakdown of clots due to a medicine, a medical disorder, or some other c ...

, the process of breaking down

blood clot A thrombus (plural thrombi), colloquially called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of c ...

s caused by the protein

fibrin Fibrin (also called Factor Ia) is a fibrous, non-globular protein involved in the clotting of blood. It is formed by the action of the protease thrombin on fibrinogen, which causes it to polymerize. The polymerized fibrin, together with platele ...

. ''H. elastica'' was one of seven species that had this ability; the activity of the extract was 60% of that of

plasmin Plasmin is an important enzyme () present in blood that degrades many blood plasma proteins, including fibrin clots. The degradation of fibrin is termed fibrinolysis. In humans, the plasmin protein (in the zymogen form of plasminogen) is encoded ...

, the positive control used in the experiment.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1324963

elastica Elastica were an English rock band formed in London in 1992 by ex-Suede members Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch. The band was stylistically influenced by punk rock, post-punk and new wave music. The band's members changed several times, w ...

Fungi described in 1785 Fungi of Asia Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America