Which Helvella?

[Lancashire Lad]

Found today adjacent to a rotting Beech stump.
(And I'm stumped as to which species of Helvella it is ).



I'd love to get this properly identified, so any replies would be much appreciated.

Regards,
Mike.

[NickCantle]

Helvella lacunosa Mike, a species you're unlikely to confuse with anything else

[Lancashire Lad]

Thanks a lot Nick,

I did think it was probably that, but the example photos in both Jordan and Phillips show fungus of quite different in appearance. (Admittedly, the Phillips photo is nearer to how my find looks, but still quite different).

Am I to assume (as with many fungi) that these things have quite a range of appearance ?

Regards,
Mike.

[NickCantle]

Because of their structure, there's no such thing as a completely typical Helvella elastica or Helvella lacunosa- these species have more variations in shape due to their odd appearance and randomly generated stipe pits. They're an ascomycete, so not to be confused with your classic basidiomycete 'cap species'. Next time you find one, pick it and give it a little shake and hold it next to your ear- "Hissssssssss"

[Lancashire Lad]

Hi Nick,

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I appreciate that the shape of these things will vary enormously. I was thinking more in terms of colouration.

The near white stipe colour on mine is nothing like the same colour as is shown in either Phillips or Jordan.

Regards,
Mike.

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by Lancashire Lad

Hi Nick,

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I appreciate that the shape of these things will vary enormously. I was thinking more in terms of colouration.

The near white stipe colour on mine is nothing like the same colour as is shown in either Phillips or Jordan.

Regards,
Mike.

Ahhhh, I see- apologies for rambling on

As far as I've seen, colouration is variable too.

[mollisia]

Hello,

Helvella lacunosa varies a lot concerning shape, size and colouration. There are dwarf forms with +/- saddle shaped "cap" or like elastica, which are only some centimeters high (usually called f. sulcata). On the other hand there are even albinotic forms, purely white or whitish, which have often been called Helvella lactea, e.g. in FoS. It's not clear, whether there is a true H. lactea different from the albinos of H. lacunosa, but at least what concerns the H. lactea in FoS, this is truely a albino of lacunosa.

best regards,
Andreas

[NickCantle]

How on earth would you know if you had an albino specimen of H. lacunosa or a specimen of H. crispa

[flaxton]

Ask Andreas

[NickCantle]

It was a question poked in the general direction of Jena