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White saddle (Helvella crispa), whole fruiting body
Matej Frančeškin · CC BY 4.0
Inedible

White saddle

Helvella crispa · Helvellaceae

The white saddle (Helvella crispa) has a cream-white, irregularly folded, saddle-shaped head and a deeply furrowed, pitted white stem.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team5 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyHelvellaceae
SeasonOct–Jan
Spore printWhite
Cap width2–6 cm
Stem length3–10 cm
Records in Turkey22 records
CultivationWild only
StatusInedible

The white saddle (Helvella crispa) has a cream-white, irregularly folded, saddle-shaped head and a deeply furrowed, pitted white stem. It has no gills; spores form on the upper surface of the head. It is toxic raw, and while some sources say it is edible cooked, given the disagreement and its kinship with the false morel it is treated as not edible.

Also called: elfin saddle, common white helvella Turkish: Beyaz semer mantarı Synonyms: Phallus crispus

White saddle (Helvella crispa), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

White saddle, part by part

No ring or volva Spore print: White No distinctive smell; the flesh is thin, brittle and waxy.

White saddle (Helvella crispa), cap seen from above
Cap2–6 cm; an irregular, two- or three-lobed, saddle-shaped, wavy head. The upper side is cream-white to pale buff, the underside paler and slightly downy; the margin is free.
Cap surfaceNo gills or pores; spores form on the upper surface of the head. The underside of the head is smooth to finely downy.
White saddle (Helvella crispa), stem and stem base
Stem3–10 cm, white, deeply furrowed and ribbed lengthwise; chambered inside, appearing holed in cross-section.

When and where

Oct–Jan

  1. Janin season
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Decin season

The white saddle appears in autumn and early winter; Turkish records peak in December, with others in January, October and November.

Type Inedible

Months seen OctoberNovemberDecemberJanuary

Colour White

Regions Black Sea RegionCentral Anatolia RegionMediterranean RegionMarmara RegionTrabzonOsmaniyeAnkaraKocaeliSakaryaIstanbul

Where does white saddle grow?

In broadleaf woods, often along paths and tracks, on bare soil or in leaf litter; sometimes at meadow edges. Singly or in small groups.

Where is white saddle found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 22 Turkish records, most from Istanbul, plus Kocaeli, Sakarya, Ankara, Trabzon and Osmaniye.

Which months

  1. Jan5
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May1
  6. Jun0
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep0
  10. Oct1
  11. Nov2
  12. Dec13

white saddle map of Turkey: all provinces and months →

6 provinces, 22 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest white saddle observations

On "illustrative" cards the image is a photo of the species; the observation photo cannot be shown here because of its licence, but can be seen at the source.

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

White saddle can be mistaken for the species below. Each card shows the look-alike and how it differs from White saddle.

White saddle (Helvella crispa), whole fruiting body
This species White saddle
False morel (Gyromitra esculenta), whole fruiting body Deadly

not White saddle

False morel Gyromitra esculenta

The false morel has a reddish-brown, brain-like head and appears in spring under pine. The white saddle is cream-white, saddle-shaped and appears in autumn.

Elfin saddle (Helvella lacunosa) Inedible

not White saddle

Elfin saddle Helvella lacunosa

Same structure, but its head is dark grey to black and its stem greyish.

Morel (Morchella esculenta), whole fruiting body Edible species

not White saddle

Morel Morchella esculenta

The morel has a honeycomb-pitted head fused to the stem and appears in spring; the white saddle has a free-edged saddle-shaped head and appears in autumn.

What it contains

Its culinary value is disputed; it is covered here only for identification and safety.

General information, not a health claim.

The white saddle is toxic raw and is thought to contain substances similar to the gyromitrin of its relative, the false morel. Some sources say it is edible when well cooked, but this is disputed. Do not eat it. If poisoning is suspected, call poison control and keep any leftover mushroom.

Frequently asked questions

Is the white saddle edible?

No. It is toxic raw; some sources say it is edible cooked, but this is disputed. We treat it as not edible.

Is it poisonous?

Raw, it causes stomach upsets, and it is thought to contain substances similar to the false morel's toxin.

How do you identify it?

A cream-white, wavy, saddle-shaped head and a deeply furrowed, chambered white stem. No gills.

Can it be confused with morels?

Not in shape: the morel has a honeycomb-pitted head and appears in spring. The white saddle is saddle-shaped and appears in autumn.

When and where does it appear?

In autumn and early winter in broadleaf woods, often along paths. Turkish records peak in December.

Where is it found in Turkey?

Most of the 22 records in our map data are from Istanbul, with others from Kocaeli, Sakarya, Ankara, Trabzon and Osmaniye.

Is there a black saddle too?

Its close relative Helvella lacunosa has a dark grey to black head. It too is treated as not edible.

When is white saddle season in Turkey?

In our calendar, white saddle season runs Oct–Jan. The white saddle appears in autumn and early winter; Turkish records peak in December, with others in January, October and November.

Where does white saddle grow?

In broadleaf woods, often along paths and tracks, on bare soil or in leaf litter; sometimes at meadow edges. Singly or in small groups.

Where is white saddle found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 22 Turkish records, most from Istanbul, plus Kocaeli, Sakarya, Ankara, Trabzon and Osmaniye.

What can white saddle be confused with?

White saddle can be confused with false morel (Gyromitra esculenta, deadly), elfin saddle (Helvella lacunosa, inedible) and morel (Morchella esculenta, edible species). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is white saddle called in Turkish?

In Turkish, white saddle (Helvella crispa) is called Beyaz semer mantarı.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Ullah ve ark. (2017), International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms: Batı Himalaya yabani yenen mantarları (Helvella crispa dahil) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Wikipedia (EN): Helvella crispa en.wikipedia.org
  3. First Nature: Helvella crispa first-nature.com
All sources (5)
  1. iNaturalist: Helvella crispa (Türkçe ad ve Türkiye gözlemleri) inaturalist.org
  2. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
Photo credits (12)