Helvella crispa, the white saddle, is an ascomycete with an irregularly lobed, creamy white cap with a finely fuzzy underside, on a white, deeply ribbed and chambered stem. It grows on the ground or on rotting wood under hardwoods or conifers in summer and fall. It may be mycorrhizal. North American crispa-like collections may represent several species.
Not recommended. Older guides listed it as edible, but it has caused gastrointestinal illness when eaten raw and is suspected of containing monomethylhydrazine-type toxins. It has not been well analyzed chemically, and there is no evidence that cooking makes it safe. Gyromitrin-type compounds have also been tentatively linked to long-term neurological harm.
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Habitat
Alone or in groups on the ground or on rotting wood under hardwoods (especially beech) or conifers; along paths, in hedges, grass and disturbed soil. Possibly mycorrhizal. Late summer to late autumn; over winter in warm climates.
Distribution
Widespread in Europe (described from Slovenia, epitypified from Sweden); reported from China, Japan and central Asia and across North America. Preliminary DNA work suggests North American crispa-like populations may be several species needing new names, as has already happened in China.
Characteristics
Cap: 1.5-7 cm high and 1.5-6 cm wide; saddle-shaped or irregularly lobed; bald, smooth or slightly wrinkled; white to creamy or pale yellowish; margin inrolled when young, often curling upward and not fused to the stem. Underside: finely fuzzy (hand lens), colored like the cap or slightly darker. Stem: 3-12 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide; white or pinkish; deeply and ornately ribbed with cross-veins and pockets; often chambered. Flesh: thin, brittle, whitish, unchanging when cut. Odor: not distinctive. Spore print: white. Spores: 16-21 x 11-15 µm, broadly ellipsoid, smooth, with one large central oil droplet.
