Helvella corium

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Helvella corium
Helvella corium.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Pezizomycetes
Order: Pezizales
Family: Helvellaceae
Genus: Helvella
Species:
H. corium
Binomial name
Helvella corium
(O.Weberb.) Massee (1895)
Synonyms
  • Peziza coriumO.Weberb. (1873)
  • Scypharia corium(O.Weberb.) Quél. (1886)
  • Cyathipodia corium(O.Weberd.) Boud. (1907)
  • Helvella corium var. macrosperma(J.Favre) Bizio, Franchi & M.Marchetti (1998)
Helvella corium
Information icon.svg
Smooth icon.pngSmooth hymenium
Infundibuliform cap icon.svg Cap is infundibuliform
NA cap icon.svg Hymenium attachment is not applicable
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Mycorrhizal fungus.svgEcology is mycorrhizal
Mycomorphbox Question.pngEdibility is unknown

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.

Contents

Description

The black fruit body (technically called an apothecium) is cup-shaped, covered with either scales or small silk-like surface fibrils (fibrillose), and up to 5 centimetres (2 inches) in diameter. The upper margin of the fruit body cup may be rounded with scalloped or lobed edges (crenate). The short, slender stipe (typically 0.6 to 1.8 cm (14 to 34 in) tall) [1] is black on the upper part, but gray at the base; it is cylindrical and tapering (terete) with rounded ribs at its base. [2] The odor and taste are not distinctive. [1]

The spores are ellipsoid in shape, and measure 17–21 by 10–12  μm. They are hyaline (translucent), and contain a single central oil drop (guttulate). [2] The spore-bearing cells, the asci, are 225–250 by 12–17 μm. [3]

Similar species

Plectania nannfeldtii is a similar-looking fungus with a black-colored stalked cup, but this species has a longer stipe, up to 5 centimetres (2.0 in); microscopically, it has larger spores (typically 23–28 by 11–14 μm). [4]

Distribution and habitat

Helvella corium has been collected from Asia, [5] Europe, [6] and North America. [3] [7] It is uncommon despite the scope of its distribution. [3] Fruit bodies grow solitary, scattered, or clustered in groups. It is often found in association with the trees Populus tremuloides or Thuja plicata , or with shrubs from genus Salix (such as Salix herbacea and Salix glauca ), Shepherdia canadensis or shrubs from the genus Dryas . [3] Jordan notes a preference for growing on sandy soils or in dunes. [1]

This mushroom appears to have a high tolerance for otherwise inhospitable growing conditions, as it has been found growing on caustic spoil mounds (the end-product of many mining and manufacturing operations) of a alkali factory in Kraków, Poland, [8] as well as on abandoned uranium tailings in Ontario, Canada. [9]

Potential toxicity

The edibility of the species is unknown, and its consumption is not recommended as similar species in the family Helvellaceae contain the toxin gyromitrin.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sarcoscypha coccinea</i> Species of fungus

Sarcoscypha coccinea, commonly known as the scarlet elf cup, or the scarlet cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae of the order Pezizales. The fungus, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, has been found in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. The type species of the genus Sarcoscypha, S. coccinea has been known by many names since its first appearance in the scientific literature in 1772. Phylogenetic analysis shows the species to be most closely related to other Sarcoscypha species that contain numerous small oil droplets in their spores, such as the North Atlantic island species S. macaronesica. Due to similar physical appearances and sometimes overlapping distributions, S. coccinea has often been confused with S. occidentalis, S. austriaca, and S. dudleyi.

<i>Paragyromitra infula</i> Species of fungus

Paragyromitra infula, commonly known as the hooded false morel or the elfin saddle, is a species of fungus in the family Discinaceae. The dark reddish-brown caps of the fruit bodies develop a characteristic saddle-shape in maturity, and the ends of both saddle lobes are drawn out to sharp tips that project above the level of the fruit body. The stipe is white or flushed pale brown, smooth on the outside, but hollow with some chambers inside.

<i>Helvella</i> Genus of fungi

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.

<i>Gyromitra caroliniana</i> Species of fungus

Gyromitra caroliniana, known commonly as the Carolina false morel or big red, is an ascomycete fungus of the genus Gyromitra, within the Pezizales group of fungi. It is found in hardwood forests of the southeastern United States, where it fruits in early spring soon after snowmelt.

<i>Helvella lacunosa</i> Species of fungus

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. The mushroom is readily identified by its irregularly shaped grey cap, fluted stem, and fuzzy undersurfaces. It is usually found in Eastern North America and in Europe, near deciduous and coniferous trees in summer and autumn.

<i>Peziza violacea</i> Species of fungus

Peziza violacea, commonly known as the violet fairy cup or the violet cup fungus, is a species of fungus in the genus Peziza of the family Pezizaceae. As both it common names and specific epithet suggest, the cup-shaped fruiting bodies are violet colored on the interior surface. P. violacea is typically found growing on burnt soil.

<i>Caloscypha</i> Genus of fungi

Caloscypha is a fungal genus in the family Caloscyphaceae. A monotypic genus, it contains the single species Caloscypha fulgens, commonly known as the snowbank orange peel fungus, spring orange peel fungus, the golden cup, or the dazzling cup. It is a cup fungus, typically up to 4 centimetres in diameter, with a bright to pale orange interior and orange; specimens that are old or bruised often have an olive-green discoloration, especially around the edges.

<i>Helvella acetabulum</i> Species of fungus

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 it is commonly known as the cabbage leaf Helvella. Other colloquial names include the vinegar cup and the brown ribbed elfin cup. The fruit bodies reaches dimensions of 8 centimetres (3 in) by 4 cm tall. It is found in Eurasia and North America, where it grows in sandy soils, under both coniferous and deciduous trees.

<i>Helvella elastica</i> Species of fungus

Helvella elastica, commonly known as the flexible Helvella or the elastic saddle, is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales. It is found in Asia, Europe, and North America. It has a roughly saddle-shaped yellow-brown cap atop a whitish stipe, and grows on soil in woods. Another colloquial name is the brown elfin saddle.

<i>Dissingia leucomelaena</i> Species of fungus

Dissingia leucomelaena, commonly known as the white-footed elf cup, is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales. As its common name implies, it is characterized by the white coloring of its stem.

<i>Helvella macropus</i> Species of fungus

Helvella macropus is a species of fungus in the family Helvellaceae of the order Pezizales. Its ascocarps are found in summer and autumn in woodland, usually associated with broad-leaved trees.

<i>Microstoma floccosum</i> Species of fungus

Microstoma floccosum is a species in the cup fungus family Sarcoscyphaceae. It is recognizable by its deep funnel-shaped, scarlet-colored fruit bodies bearing white hairs on the exterior. Found in the United States and Asia, it grows on partially buried sticks and twigs of oak trees.

<i>Disciotis venosa</i> Species of fungus

Disciotis venosa, commonly known as the bleach cup, veiny cup fungus, or the cup morel is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Fruiting from April, they are often difficult to locate because of their nondescript brown color.

<i>Plectania nannfeldtii</i> Species of fungus

Plectania nannfeldtii, commonly known as Nannfeldt's Plectania, the black felt cup, or the black snowbank cup fungus, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcosomataceae. The fruit bodies of this species resemble small, black, goblet-shaped shallow cups up to 3 cm wide, with stems up to 4 cm long attached to black mycelia. Fruit bodies, which may appear alone or in groups on the ground in conifer duff, are usually attached to buried woody debris, and are commonly associated with melting snow. Plectania nannfeldtii is found in western North America and in Asia, often at higher elevations. Similar black cup fungi with which P. nannfeldtii may be confused include Pseudoplectania vogesiaca, P. nigrella, and Helvella corium.

<i>Suillus pungens</i> Species of fungus in the family Suillaceae found in California

Suillus pungens, commonly known as the pungent slippery jack or the pungent suillus, is a species of fungus in the genus Suillus. The fruit bodies of the fungus have slimy convex caps up to 14 cm (5.5 in) wide. The mushroom is characterized by the very distinct color changes that occur in the cap throughout development. Typically, the young cap is whitish, later becoming grayish-olive to reddish-brown or a mottled combination of these colors. The mushroom has a dotted stem (stipe) up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long, and 2 cm (0.8 in) thick. On the underside on the cap is the spore-bearing tissue consisting of minute vertically arranged tubes that appear as a surface of angular, yellowish pores. The presence of milky droplets on the pore surface of young individuals, especially in humid environments, is a characteristic feature of this species. S. pungens can usually be distinguished from other similar Suillus species by differences in distribution, odor and taste. The mushroom is considered edible, but not highly regarded.

<i>Galiella rufa</i> Species of fungus

Galiella rufa, commonly known as the rubber cup, the rufous rubber cup, or the hairy rubber cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcosomataceae. It produces cup-shaped fruit bodies with the texture of tough, gelatinous rubber, with a rough, blackish-brown, felt-like outer surface and a smooth reddish-brown inner surface.

<i>Picipes badius</i> Species of fungus

Picipes badius, commonly known as the black-footed polypore or black-leg, is a species of fungus in the family Polyporaceae. It causes a white rot of hardwoods and conifers. The species is found in temperate areas of Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. It has a dark brown or reddish-brown cap that reaches a diameter of 25 cm (9.8 in), and a stipe that is often completely black or brown at the top and black at the base.

<i>Tricholoma vernaticum</i> Species of fungus

Tricholoma vernaticum is an agaric fungus of the genus Tricholoma native to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The fungus was originally described in 1976 as a species of Armillaria when that genus was more inclusive; it received its current name twenty years later. The stout fruit bodies (mushrooms) have moist white to grayish caps, a membranous ring on the stipe, and an odor resembling cucumbers. Mycorrhizal with conifers, the fungus fruits in the spring or early summer, with its mushrooms appearing on the ground singly or in groups at high elevations, often at the edge of melting snowbanks. The edibility of the mushroom is unknown, but it has a strong unpleasant odor and a mealy taste.

<i>Lentinellus montanus</i> Species of fungus

Lentinellus montanus is a species of agaric fungus in the family Auriscalpiaceae. It is found at high elevations in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, where it fruits singly or in clumps on decaying conifer wood.

<i>Pholiota nubigena</i> Species of fungus

Pholiota nubigena, commonly known as the gastroid pholiota or the bubble gum fungus, is a species of secotioid fungus in the family Strophariaceae. It is found in mountainous areas of the western United States, where it grows on rotting conifer wood, often fir logs. It fruits in spring, often under snow, and early summer toward the end of the snowmelt period in high mountain forests. Fruit bodies appear similar to unopened mushrooms, measuring 1–4 centimetres tall with 1–2.4 cm diameter caps that are whitish to brownish. They have a short but distinct whitish stipe that extend through the internal spore mass (gleba) of the fruit body into the cap. The gleba consists of irregular chambers made of contorted gills that are brownish in color. A whitish, cottony partial veil is present in young specimens, but it often disappears in age and does not leave a ring on the stipe.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jordan M. (2004). The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe. London, UK: Frances Lincoln. p. 52. ISBN   0-7112-2379-3.
  2. 1 2 Tylutki EE. (1979). Mushrooms of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho. p. 64. ISBN   0-89301-062-6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Abbott SP, Currah RS (1997). "The Helvellaceae: Systematic revision and occurrence in northern and northwestern North America". Mycotaxon. 62: 1–125.
  4. Evenson VS. (1997). Mushrooms of Colorado and the Southern Rocky Mountains. Englewood, Colorado: Westcliffe Publishers. p. 51. ISBN   1-56579-192-4.
  5. Liu B, Du F, Cao J (1985). "New species and new combination of the genus Helvella". Acta Mycologia Sinica (in Chinese). 4: 208–17.
  6. Dissing H. (1966). "The genus Helvella in Europe with special emphasis on the species found in Norden". Dansk Botanisk Arkiv . 25: 1–172.
  7. Dissing, H.; Lange, M. (1967). "Notes on the genus Helvella in North America". Mycologia . 59 (2): 349–60. doi:10.2307/3756809. JSTOR   3756809.
  8. Turnau K, Kropieniewicz B, Pawlowska T (1991). "Ascomycetes on spoil mounds of the Cracow Soda Factory". Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Jagiellonskiego Prace Botaniczne (in Polish). 22: 145–54.
  9. Kalin M, Stokes PM (1980). "Macrofungi on uranium mill tailings — associations and metal content". The Science of the Total Environment. 19 (1): 83–94. doi:10.1016/0048-9697(81)90120-0.