Contents
The pitted lobe is a rare marsupial fungus of the Helwellaceae family, the genus Helwell. Has an unusual appearance. Another name is furrowed gelvella. The spores are in a “bag” in the fruiting body.
What do pitted lobes look like
The mushroom consists of a stem and a cap, as if folded in half or crumpled. Because of this, it takes an irregular or saddle shape, forming a kind of horns. It is two- or three-lobed, the size is from 2 to 4 cm in width, from 1 to 5 cm in length. The edge is freely located, sometimes adheres to the stem, in old specimens it is torn. The upper surface is smooth or slightly wrinkled, gray to black in color, the lower surface is lighter, usually grayish.
The length of the leg is up to 6 cm, the thickness is from 1 to 1,5 cm. It is often curved, expanding downward, folded, ribbed, usually gray in color, becoming darker with age.
Spores with smooth walls, elliptical, colorless or white, with oily drops. Size – 15-17 X 8-12 microns.
The flesh of the foveate lobe is thin, very fragile, grayish in color, with no pronounced mushroom smell.
Helwella pitted is unattractive to mushroom pickers because of its appearance
Where do pitted lobes grow
Grows in deciduous forests next to birches, rarely in coniferous plantations. Possibly forms mycorrhiza with birch. Found in small groups or singly, often in fairly open areas. Settles on moist and alkaline soils and litter, loves old fires and places of forest fires. Distributed throughout Eurasia, but rare. Fruits in summer and autumn.
Is it possible to eat pitted lobes
Refers to conditionally edible.
False doubles
Long-legged lobe. An inedible mushroom with a goblet-shaped or saddle-shaped hat, flattened on the sides. The outer surface is pimply, gray or with a purple tint. The inner part is lighter, white-beige. The stem may be smooth or tuberous, narrower in the upper part, the color is similar to that of the inner surface of the cap. The pulp is odorless and tasteless, thin, watery. Fruiting from June to early October. Prefers moist forests, can settle on mosses and rotten wood residues, grows in groups.
Helwella long-legged is easy to distinguish by the shape of the cap and the color of the fruiting body.
Curly lobe. A not too common conditionally edible mushroom of the Helwellian family with low taste. In some sources it is proposed to consider it inedible. The main difference from pitted is a lighter color. The hat is irregularly shaped, consists of 2-4 lobes. The edges are curly or wavy, hanging freely or in some places accreting to the stem. Color from white and waxy beige to yellow and light ocher. The leg is straight or curved, short, swollen at the base, hollow. Surface with deep folds or furrows. The color is whitish or ash gray. The pulp is fragile, thin, waxy-white, with a pleasant mushroom aroma. Fruits from early August to October.
Helwella curly differs from pitted in white
White-legged lobe. Conditionally edible species with a saddle-shaped or curved hat, consisting of three or more lobes. The surface is grayish brownish or blackish, smooth, sometimes with lighter spots. On the underside you can see the villi. The stipe is hollow, white, widened at the base or flattened, smooth, without furrows, dirty yellow or smoky brown in the old specimen. The pulp is fragile, thin, the taste and smell are unexpressed. It grows in groups, in coniferous and deciduous forests, on sandy soils. Fruiting from May to October. Some sources have information about raw toxicity and the need for prolonged heat treatment.
Helwella white-legged is distinguished by a white smooth leg without furrows
Collection rules
When harvesting, it is recommended not to pull out the mushroom, but to carefully unscrew the leg so as not to damage the mycelium. You can only cut off the caps.
Use
It is rarely eaten due to its strange appearance. In addition, its taste is low. It is allowed to eat this mushroom only after thorough soaking (during the day), washing and boiling. Only after that you can start cooking the mushroom, be sure to drain the broth. Pitted lobe can be fried.
Conclusion
The pitted lobe has an unattractive appearance, therefore it is practically not used for food and is of no value to mushroom pickers. From a distance, the furrowed gelvella resembles a burnt piece of wood left after a fire. It is completely unappetizing and there is no desire to rip it off.
