Helvella

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.
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.
Species
, Species Fungorum accepts 159 species of Helvella:
Helvella acetabuloides
Helvella acetabulum
Helvella adhaerens
Helvella affinis
Helvella agaricoides
Helvella albella
Helvella albipes
Helvella alpicola
Helvella alpina
Helvella arctica
Helvella arcto-alpina
Helvella astieri
Helvella aterrima
Helvella atra
Helvella atroides
Helvella austrooccidentalis
Helvella bachu
Helvella borealis
Helvella branzeziana
Helvella brevis
Helvella brevissima
Helvella bulbosa
Helvella calycina
Helvella capucina
Helvella capucinoides
Helvella carnosa
Helvella chinensis
Helvella cinerella
Helvella compressa
Helvella connivens
Helvella constricta
Helvella corbierei
Helvella corium
Helvella cornuta
Helvella costifera
Helvella crispa
Helvella crispoides
Helvella cupuliformis
Helvella cystidiata
Helvella danica
Helvella dovrensis
Helvella dryadophila
Helvella dryophila
Helvella dura
Helvella elastica
Helvella engleriana
Helvella ephippioides
Helvella ephippium
Helvella faulknerae
Helvella favrei
Helvella fibrosa
Helvella fistulosa
Helvella flavida
Helvella floriforma
Helvella foetida
Helvella fulva
Helvella fusca
Helvella fuscolacunosa
Helvella galeriformis
Helvella glutinosa
Helvella griseoalba
Helvella guttata
Helvella heganii
Helvella helvellula
Helvella hispanica
Helvella hispida
Helvella huangii
Helvella hyperborea
Helvella hypocrateriformis
Helvella iberica
Helvella inexpectata
Helvella involuta
Helvella jiaohensis
Helvella jilinensis
Helvella jimsarica
Helvella jizushanica
Helvella jocatoi
Helvella juniperi
Helvella lactea
Helvella lacunosa
Helvella latispora
Helvella leucopus
Helvella liui
Helvella lobata
Helvella ludovicae
Helvella macropus
Helvella maculata
Helvella maculatoides
Helvella magna
Helvella maroccana
Helvella menzeliana
Helvella mesatlantica
Helvella minor
Helvella monachella
Helvella nannfeldtii
Helvella neopallescens
Helvella orentitomentosa
Helvella orienticrispa
Helvella pallidula
Helvella papuensis
Helvella paraphysitorquata
Helvella parva
Helvella pedunculata
Helvella pezizoides
Helvella philonotis
Helvella phlebophora
Helvella phlebophoroides
Helvella phlebophoropsis
Helvella pileata
Helvella plateata
Helvella platycephala
Helvella platypodia
Helvella pocillum
Helvella poculiformis
Helvella pseudoalpina
Helvella pseudolacunosa
Helvella pseudoreflexa
Helvella pubescens
Helvella pulchra
Helvella pulla
Helvella quadrisulca
Helvella queletiana
Helvella ravida
Helvella retinervis
Helvella rivularis
Helvella robusta
Helvella rossica
Helvella rugosa
Helvella schaefferi
Helvella scrobiculata
Helvella scyphoides
Helvella semiobruta
Helvella sichuanensis
Helvella sinensis
Helvella solida
Helvella solitaria
Helvella subfusispora
Helvella subglabra
Helvella sublactea
Helvella subspadicea
Helvella subtinta
Helvella taiyuanensis
Helvella terrestris
Helvella terricola
Helvella tianshanensis
Helvella tinta
Helvella ulvinenii
Helvella umbraculiformis
Helvella underwoodii
Helvella unicolor
Helvella vacini
Helvella varia
Helvella verruculosa
Helvella vespertina
Helvella vitrea
Helvella vulgata
Helvella xinjiangensis
Helvella yunnanensis
Helvella zhongtiaoensis
Transferred species
Helvella aestivalis – now Balsamia aestivalis
Helvella beatonii – now Geomorium beatonii
Helvella confusa – now Dissingia confusa
Helvella crassitunicata – now Dissingia crassitunicata
Helvella dissingi – now Helvella fibrosa
Helvella fuegiana – now Geomorium fuegianum
Helvella javanica – synonym of Helvella lacunosa
Helvella leucomelaena – now Dissingia leucomelaena
Helvella oblongispora – now Dissingia oblongispora
Helvella queletii – synonym of Helvella solitaria
See also
Elfin saddle
References
Pezizales genera