Species details
Long-stalked saddle
Helvella macropus
Inedible
Photo: Bjorn Sothmann · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · License
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Description
A grey cup-shaped saddle fungus with a very long, thin and downy-haired stem.
Identification features
The cap is about 3–4 cm wide, cup-shaped and ash-grey, with a woolly-felted surface. The stem can reach about 10 cm, is very thin, grey and covered with fine downy hairs; it is often slightly curved or grooved.
Identification checklist
Check the grey cup-shaped head and especially the very long, thin, visibly downy-haired stem.
Detailed features
- Cap
- The cap is about 3–4 cm wide, cup-shaped and ash-grey, with a woolly-felted surface.
- Stem
- The stem can reach about 10 cm, is very thin, grey and covered with fine downy hairs; it is often slightly curved or grooved.
Size
- Cap diameter
- 3–4 cm
Habitat
Grows in summer and autumn on decaying wood or woody debris in deciduous and coniferous woodland.
Fruiting period
July, August, September, October
Ecology
- Substrate
- Dead wood
- Notes
- Grows in summer and autumn on decaying wood or woody debris in deciduous and coniferous woodland.
How to separate similar species
Other saddle fungi may be similarly grey, but the combination of a long thin stem and downy surface is important. Atypical specimens may require microscopy.