Contents
Black lobe (Helvella atra) is a fungus with an original appearance, belonging to the Helvella family, from the genus Lopas. Other scientific name: Black leptopodium.
What does a black blade look like
Only the fruiting bodies that have appeared have the appearance of a kind of saddle on a leg or a broken disk. The hat has a rounded fold along the central line, whose outer corners are noticeably raised above the horizontal. The halves of the cap are strongly lowered almost in a straight line or slightly rounded inward, the edge is often attached to the stem. As it develops, the surface bends with bizarre waves, changes to shapeless lumpy. The edges can be noticeably turned outward, exposing the inner surface, or, conversely, hugging the leg with a kind of cape.
The surface is matte, dry, slightly velvety. Gray to dark gray with a brown or bluish tint and shapeless blue and black spots. The color may darken to brown-black. Inner surface, hymenium, smooth or slightly wrinkled, with pronounced setae, brownish or gray. The pulp is brittle, friable, tasteless. Its color is transparent gray, like wax. The diameter can be from 0,8 to 3,2 cm. The spore powder is white.
The stem is cylindrical, expanding towards the root. Dry, pubescent in the upper part, with longitudinal stripes. The color is uneven, noticeably lighter at the base. Color from beige, gray-cream to dirty bluish and ocher-black. The length is from 2,5 to 5,5 cm, the diameter is 0,4-1,2 cm.
Where black lobes grow
Distributed in Japan and China, where it was first found and described. Then it was discovered on the American continent and in other regions of Eurasia. In Our Country, it is extremely rare, to see it is a great success.
Prefers deciduous forests, birch forests. Sometimes its colonies are found in pine forests, spruce forests. It grows in large and small groups, with freely located individual mushrooms. Likes dry places, sandy soils, grassy clearings in gardens and parks. The mushroom picker bears fruit from June to October.
Is it possible to eat black lobes
The black lobe is classified as an inedible mushroom due to its low nutritional value. There is no scientific data on its toxicity. It can be confused with other members of the Helwell species.
The lobe is pitted. Inedible. It has a larger size, a fleshy thick leg.
The lobe is peciform. Inedible. Distinguished by a noticeably curled up edge of the cap.
White-legged lobe. Inedible, toxic. It has a pure white or yellowish stem, a light hymenium color and a blue-black hat.
Conclusion
The black lobe is an interesting rare mushroom from the Helwellian family, a fairly close relative of the pezits. Inedible, according to some reports toxic. It has an extremely low nutritional value, so you should not risk your health. In Our Country, several colonies of this fungus have been found in the Novosibirsk region. Its habitat is China, Europe, North and South America. It grows in deciduous, sometimes coniferous forests from early June to mid-October.