Introduction This family includes brain mushrooms, elfin saddles, and cups on a (sometimes fluted) stem. Gyromitra also does, but those are typically larger. It also includes a large Otidea-like lopsided cup and the belly button truffles. abundant common uncommon rare - colour codes match my Pictorial Key and are my opinions and probably reflect my bias of living in W WA. Rare species may be locally common in certain places at certain times.

Helvella (Elfin Saddles) - click to expand These look like brains or saddles on a stick, a saddle small enough for an elf to sit on. Gyromitra also has both forms, but they are usually stockier and orange-brown. Species mentioned: Helvella albella, atra, bicolor, capucinoides, compressa, corbierei, crispa, dryophila, elastica, lactea, latispora, maculata, pezizoides, stevensii, vespertina,   Black and white with fluted stem Helvella vespertina CA (Helvella lactea EU misapplied) - black lobed, brain-like cap and a grey fluted stem. Usually with conifers peaking in the fall. So far, albino forms have been the same species, not the white species H. lactea, as originally supposed. The albino form has to be recognized by the fact that the bottom of the cap fuses to the stem in places, and underneath the cap is smooth, because albino versions of H. maculata also exist. We have the holotype sequence. Helvella dryophila CA - very similar, but usually with oaks and peaking in the winter/spring. Perhaps it a bit more squat and more likely to have a higher contrast in colour between the cap and stem. We have the holotype sequence. So far, only 5 sequenced collections were this, and 77 collections were H. vespertina. Helvella sp. 'vespertina-CA01' - this one typically looks more like H. dryophila (perhaps with a wider stem) and is similarly found in the winter/spring, but is typically found with conifers. Collected several times in CA and once in OR. Helvella atra EU (formerly PNW05) - The cap of this species is usually more like a black saddle (not lobed like a brain), also with a fluted stem. However, the cap shape can be convoluted somewhat like H. vespertina. Found twice in WA in the summertime, although it is a fall species in Europe and back east where it is more common. Although we don't have ITS of the epitype, our collections match ITS fairly well of collections that can be matched fairly closely to the type through other genes. Helvella vespertina © Joe Matanzas,     H. atra © Andrew Parker (2 images)   Brown with fluted stem Helvella maculata MI/ID (formerly WA01) - differs from the H. vespertina group not only in its brown colours, but the bottom of the cap does not fuse to the stem, and the underside of the cap is pubescent, not smooth. The cap is not quite as convoluted as in H. vespertina. It is usually found in the fall with conifers. We don't have a type sequence, but Skrede provides sequences that she believes represent this species. Helvella sp. 'CA11' - a sister spring species, we are assuming the less rare fall species above is the real thing because it matches better with the season and trees. CA11 was found once in CA under oak and twice so far in OR in winter/early spring under unknown trees. Helvella sp. 'PNW11' - I don't have any photographs, but this species has been misidentified as H. maculata and probably looks similar, although it is not a sister species. One collection seems to have been quite pale as it was identified as H. crispa. Not much is known about it yet. Helvella crispa EU - the name used for very pale or whitish collections of this group, but as it has not yet been found in the PNW, I suspect some of the three above species have very pale forms just like H. vespertina does. Save any white collections for sequencing. They will be recognized by the bottom of the cap not being fused to the stem and by pubescence under the cap, unlike white versions of the H. vespertina group. Helvella maculata (from CA) © Yi-Min Wang   Saddle cap on a normal stem Helvella compressa WA (formerly CA12) - 5-10 cm tall, the brown saddle is usually at an actue angle (narrow 'v'). The stem is simple and round, not fluted. The underside of the saddle is pubescent or hairy and pigmented. The bottom of the young cap rolls away from the stem. We don't have a type sequence, but several PNW type area sequences show us what this most likely is. Helvella sp. 'CA01' - pale tan, almost white capped compressa-like species, found twice in CA and once in WA. Helvella corbierei EU (H. stevensii MI misapplied, H. latispora EU misapplied) - a miniature version of the pale CA01, reportedly <2cm tall, also with a pubescent underside. Small, pale species have gone by the name H. stevensii/latispora in the PNW, but neither have been verified. We need photographed, sequenced collections of H. corbierei. A 2017 study found it in Oregon, providing sequences of the HSP gene, which I have matched to a different collection that provides both HSP and ITS, so I believe we have ITS of this species now. Helvella pezizoides EU - dark brown cap, cap underside and stem. The margin is inrolled and underneath the cap is pubescent. This has been reported from the PNW but we don't have any sequenced collections yet to see what they are. Helvella compressa © Kurtis Willacker,     H. sp. 'CA01' © Michael Beug Helvella elastica EU (=H. sp. 'elastica-PNW03') - similar to the compressa group, but this brown saddle is usually at an obtuse angle (wide 'v'). The underside of the saddle is smooth and pale. The bottom of the young cap rolls into the stem. It is found in Europe and the west coast. ITS was not sequenced of the epitype of H. elastica, but our sequences match ITS of the EU type area concept that appears to be in the right part of the tree. Helvella capucinoides NY (=Helvella sp. 'elastica-PNW04') - the east coast member of this group that has been found once near Victoria, BC and is to be looked for elsewhere. It may be more grey-brown then H. elastica, and the underside may not be perfectly smooth. Again, ITS was not sequenced of the official collections, so I am basing the identity of PNW04 on tree position and by comparing to Chinese ITS sequences purporting to be H. capucinoides. Helvella bicolor EU (=H. albella EU) - slightly smaller than H. elastica, with a dark brown cap that reflexes away from the stem like H. compressa, but the underside is not as pubescent as in H. compressa, but perhaps almost smooth underneath like H. elastica. We don't have a photograph of our only local sequenced collection. Helvella sp. 'PNW08' - similar to H. bicolor, photographed once from WA, but I don't know how to tell them apart yet. Helvella elastica © Daniel Winkler,     H. sp. 'PNW08' © Michael Beug

Helvella (Stemmed Cups) - click to expand These look like cups on a stem. Some have split the genus and call those sister to the rest of Helvella by the name Dissingia. Long stems usually indicate Helvellaceae, but those with a short stem can be confused with other families. Species mentioned: Helvella acetabulum, alpina, calycina, corium, costifera, cupuliformis, fibrosa, macropus, pubescens, solitaria. Dissingia confusa, crassotunica, leucomelaena.   Fluted or ribbed stem Helvella solitaria EU - with the longest ribbed stem (up to 8cm long) of this group, and a brown cup. Dissingia confusa EU - a similar brownish cup with a medium-sized stem (up to ~4cm long). Other Dissingia have stubby stems (<2 cm long). Found once in BC, young, with a short stem like Dissingia crassitunicata. It is a few bp different in ITS from an EU sequence, but as Skrede matched an OR collection to H. confusa though RPB2, I feel comfortable using this name for PNW collections too. Helvella sp. 'PNW09' (Helvella acetabulum EU misapplied) - spring, with the ribs extending up underneath the cup. Helvella sp. 'calycina-PNW10' (Helvella costifera EU misapplied) - H. costifera is a similar fall species reported from here with a greyer cap and blunter ribs, but it has not yet found. Instead, in the winter and spring, this unnamed close relative has been found. I do not have the photographs and do not know how to differentiate it from PNW09. Dissingia sp. 'PNW01'/'PNW02'/'PNW03' (Helvella leucomelaena EU misapplied) - potentially three sister species, none of which are the real H. leucomelaena. The upper cup is almost black and the underside of the cap is strikingly half black (upper part) and half white (lower part). The stubby ribbed stem is white. Dissingia crassitunicata WA - usually more brownish colours, with a similar stubby fluted base-like stem. Dissingia confusa has more of a stem (even when it is short, it's more like a stem than a base). Helvella solitaria © Brittany Marcotte,     H. sp. 'PNW09' © Heather Dawson,     Dissingia sp. 'PNW01' © Michael Beug,     D. crassitunicata © Sandra Ruffner   Normal stem Helvella sp. 'alpina-PNW06' (Helvella corium EU misapplied) - black cup and stem. Reported as H. corium, but our unnamed species is closer to H. alpina EU than it is to H. corium. Helvella sp. 'pubescens-PNW01' (Helvella fibrosa EU misapplied) - dark grey cup on a paler stem. Although the type study declared PNW collections to be close enough to the Alberta type sequence of Helvella pubescens AB to be the same species, I disagree. There is significant ITS and LSU difference. Helvella macropus EU (formerly 'macropus-PA01') - usually more of a medium-brown. It is more common in the EU and back east (it has been sequenced once from BC). ITS is only 4-5 bp different than ITS of collections that provide LSU that can be matched to something with identical LSU that provides RPB2 that matches the RPB2 of the type sequence. I know that's quite a game of telephone, but I think PA01 is just Helvella macropus. Helvella sp. 'macropus-PNW07' -a second species in the macropus complex. I don't know how to tell them apart. Helvella sp. 'BC01' (Helvella cupuliformis EU misapplied) - a brown cup with a shorter stem than the others, that may have a suggestion of fluting. Our one sequenced collection matching the description was not actually H. cupuliformis, nor was it close to it. I'd like to sequence other reports of H. cupuliformis. Helvella sp. 'alpina-PNW06' © Adolf & Oluna Ceska,     H. sp. 'pubescens-PNW01' © Daniel Morton,     H. sp. 'macropus-PNW07' © Luke Mikler,     H. sp. 'BC01' © Elora Adams

Midotis (Lopsided Cups) - click to expand Midotis (formerlly Wynella) look like Otidea (rabbit/donkey ear lopsided cups) but are usually larger. Species mentioned: Midotis lingua (Wynnella silvicola).   Midotis PNW01 (Midotis lingua EU==Wynnella silvicola misapplied) - tall and dark coloured, most likely to be confused with our largest Otidea, Otidea smithii, but Midotis is often white towards the bottom of the fruitbody. BC sequences suggests our species is not the EU species but needs its own name. unsequenced Midotis © Andrew Parker

Balsamia (Truffles) - click to expand Balsamia (one formerly known as Barssia) are the belly-button truffles, roughly spherical with an indentation in one place (innies). The exteriors are warty, usually orange (a couple species are black) and the interior marbling forms straighter lines than the meandering pattern inside Tuber does.   It is beyond the scope of this page to help you key out your Balsamia. We expected there were about 10 species here, but so far sequencing has found a couple dozen. Black Balsamia nigrans CA - black Balsamia sp. 'nigrans-PNW04' - also black. Now that we've found a second black species, we should get a type sequence to prove which one is the real B. nigrans. Orange Balsamia alba CA - Balsamia cascadensis OR - known from the HOLOTYPE sequence, but I don't know of any recent observations. Balsamia sp. 'PNW02' - sister to B. cascadensis. Balsamia filamentosa CA - Balsamia sp. 'PNW01' - sister to B. filamentosa. Balsamia sp. 'PNW06' - sister to B. filamentosa. Balsamia latispora OR - Balsamia sp. 'latispora-OR01' - Balsamia sp. 'latispora-OR02' - one short ITS2 sequence may be of a different species than OR01, but also may not. Balsamia sp. 'OR03' - also close to B. latispora. Balsamia sp. 'OR04' - also close to B. latispora. Balsamia layzana OR - no sequences yet. Balsamia magnata OR - Balsamia oregonensis OR (=Barssia oregonensis) - sister to all the other Balsamia, formerly placed in its own genus. Balsamia quercicola CA - Balsamia sp. 'CS105' - sister to B. quercicola. Balsamia setchellii CA - Balsamia sp. 'setchellii-PNW05' - Balsamia trappei WA - Balsamia sp. 'HJA727' - Balsamia sp. 'PNW03' - Balsamia quercicola and nigrans © Heather Dawson

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