White Saddle / Summer / Autumn / Toxic
Scientific Name
Helvella Crispa
Common Names
The White Saddle, Elfin Saddle, Common Helvella.
Family
Helvellaceae
Habitat
In leaf litter, most often Beech and Oak.
Description
A common, mildly toxic fungus, found in summer and autumn, its unusual appearance makes it easy to identify.
Identifying Features:
Cap:
Very irregular, white to creamy in colour. Roughly saddle shaped hence the common name.
Stem:
The same colour as the cap, it tend to taper in towards the cap and have flutes or ribs running the length, hollow.
Gills:
No gills, this species is a ‘spore shooter’ (ascomycetes) rather than a ‘spore dropper’ (basidiomycetes)
Smell:
No real aroma.
Spores:
White.
Known hazards
Some older books might list it as edible but there is speculation that it may contains monomethylhydrazine (used to power the space shuttle), which can cause severe intoxication, and that it may also have carcinogenic properties. So best avoided.
Potential lookalikes
Other members of the Helvella family for example the Elastic Saddle (Helvella Elastica), although this mushroom tends to have a smooth stem. No members of this family are considered edible so are not really of interest to us foragers.
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