Y. THE HELVELLAS. 



The Ilelvellas are closely related, botanically, to the morels. 

 In them the cap is not pitted, as in the morels; yet it is by no 

 means even or symmetrical. It is more or less lobed, reflexed or 

 variously folded, and the stem in some species is furrowed longi- 

 tudinally with continuous or interrupted grooves. The color of 

 the cap also varies more in the different species, and the plants 

 themselves are mostly of smaller size, and with few exceptions 

 are of rarer occurrence. They chiefly occur in woods or on their 

 borders, and should not be sought in cleared fields. 



The largest and most common species with us is the Edible 

 helvella, or, as it is sometimes called, the Esculent gyromitra, Gy- 

 romitra escidenta. The original botanical name was Helvella 



esculenta. This fungus may 

 be known by its bay-red, or 

 chestnut-red irregular cap, 

 with its brain-like convolu* 

 tions or irregular foldings, 

 inflations and depressions. 

 The general form of the cap 

 is rounded, and the lower 

 margin is attached to the 

 stem in two or three places. 

 There are sometimes paler 

 or yellowish tinted patches 

 on the cap, and with ad- 

 vanced age, or in dr\dng, it 

 assumes darker or brownish 

 hues. The stem is whitish 

 and scurfy, and often en- 

 larged or swollen at the 

 base. When mature it is 

 hollow. It is frequently de- 

 formed or irregular. The 

 plant is commonly two to four inches high, with the cap two to 

 three inches broad, and the stem one-half to one inch thick. 

 Specimens are sometimes large enough to weigh a pound each. 

 They appear in this latitude in May and June. I have never 



20 



Esculent HelveJla, somewliat reduced. 



