Day 23: Helvella lacunosa is a member of the group of fungi commonly called Elfin Saddles. Sometimes they are lumped into the larger category of "false morels" which also includes the genera Verpa and Gyromitra. While true Morels fruit only in the spring, the false morels occur most frequently in autumn. Although some false morels are considered edible, a larger number are poisonous, and some are deadly. This particular Elfin Saddle is notable for the ridges and holes in the stipe (stalk). The center specimen is beginning to decay, overgrown with a secondary fungus which consumes the host.
During my patrol of Longmire Campground for this species, the various locations in which it was found insinuated themselves into my subconscious mind until they erupted as an observation: behind trees and in close proximity to the base; at the edges of campsites; within the confines of a small two-sided enclosure near a bathroom. While it still bears further study, I am inclined to believe that Helvella lacunosa has a preference for urine-tainted soils. Just sayin'.
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