Wildflowers Found in Oregon

Fluted White Helvella Fungus (White Saddle, Elfin Saddle, Common Helval)

Helvella crispa - Helvella crispa is creamy white in colour, 2.5-5 in. in length, with a cap 2-5 cm (1/2 in) in diameter. It is striking due to its irregularly-shaped lobes on the cap, but with a robust creamy-white base (2-8 by 1-2.5 cm in size). Its flesh is thin and brittle. The stem is 1 1/4-4 in. long, white or pinkish in colour and ornately ribbed. It gives off a pleasant aroma, but is not edible raw. Occasionally white capped forms are found. It can be distinguished from occasional white forms of Helvella lacunosa by its furry cap undersurface and inrolled margins when young. Helvella crispa grows in grass as well as in humid hardwoods, such as beech, (not so well in resinous ones) along the side of pathways, in hedges and on the talus of meadows. They can be spotted from the end of summer until the end of autumn.