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Helvella vespertina
This strange looking mushroom has a dark gray irregular shaped cap. The stem is grayish white with some gray streaks and is fluted. 15 cm tall.
Growing in soil near large conifers. Helvella vespertina are associated with conifers. Found in western North America.
Spotted on Nov 29, 2018
Submitted on Dec 1, 2018
3 Comments
I may have this (or a very similar species) in my front yard right now (1/10/2021) just inside the north city limits of Seattle. They first appeared last winter (2019/20), coming up in late November or December, and stayed until the heavy snowfall in January. Reappeared this winter in December (2020), and still present in mid-January 2021. These are under a conifer, but that location is also on top of the roots of a boxwood hedge that died out about a decade ago.
Thanks for commenting Rob. This one is fairly fresh. The stem will darken as it ages.
Fascinating looking fungus Brian. Do you know what stage it is on development? I have never seen anything like this. Thanks for sharing it. Rob