Helvella Explained

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 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.[1]

Description

Species in Helvella have fruiting bodies (technically ascocarps) 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, 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 is usually between 1 - 2 mm thick.[2]

Species

, Species Fungorum accepts 159 species of Helvella:[3]

Transferred species

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Ammirati . Joseph F.. Traquair . James A. . Horgen . Paul A. . Poisonous mushrooms of the northern United States and Canada . limited . 1985 . University of Minnesota Press . Minneapolis . 0-8166-1407-5 . 259.
  2. Abbott SP, Currah RS . 1997 . The Helvellaceae: systematic revision and occurrence in northern and northwestern North America . Mycotaxon . 62 . 1 - 125.
  3. Web site: Species Fungorum - Seach Page. 2023-09-10. Species Fungorum.
  4. Korf RP . 2008 . Nomenclatural notes. 12. Untangling Hedwig's Octospora villosa: Helvella fibrosa comb. nov . Mycotaxon . 103 . 307–12.
  5. Filippa M, Baiano G . 1999 . Helvella juniperi sp. nov. new species collected on the Tyrrhenian coast . Rivista di Micologia . 42 . 2 . 99–118 . it.
  6. 10.2307/3761373 . Landvik, Sara . Kristiansen, Roy. 1999 . Schumacher, Trond. Pindara: a miniature Helvella . Mycologia . 91 . 2 . 278–85 . 3761373.
  7. Cao JZ, Liu B . 1990 . A new species of Helvella from China . Mycologia . 82 . 5 . 642–43 . 10.2307/3760054. 3760054 .
  8. ((Skrede I)), ((Carlsen T)), ((Schumacher T)) . Persoonia . A synopsis of the saddle fungi (Helvella: Ascomycota) in Europe – species delimitation, taxonomy and typification . 39 . 248 . 2017 . 10.3767/persoonia.2017.39.09. 29503476 . 5832953 .
  9. ((Landeros F)), ((Iturriaga T)), ((Guzmán-Dávalos L)) . Mycotaxon . Type studies in Helvella (Pezizales) 1 . 119 . 35–63 . Mycotaxon Publications . 2012 . 10.5248/119.35. free .