Elfin saddle or Helvella monachella

Cap 3-5 cm, irregularly saddle-shaped, with 2-4 lobes. Color dark gray, graphite, almost black in old specimens. Surface smooth, with a silky sheen in wet weather. Margins wavy and contorted. Partly fused to the stem at the top.

Cap 2-4 cm, saddle-shaped, with 2-3 vertical lobes. The upper (outer) surface is gray-chestnut-brown, dark, with a silky sheen. The underside is white, and the contrast is visible from afar. The margins are wavy and uneven. This is the species' calling card — a two-toned saddle-shaped cap.

Smooth hymenium on the upper (outer) surface of the cap lobes. Ascomycete structure — spores form in asci. Spore print white. Spores ellipsoid, smooth, 17-20 × 10-13 µm.

A smooth hymenium on the upper (darker) surface of the cap lobes. An ascomycete structure — spores mature in asci. Spore print white. Spores ellipsoid, smooth, typical of the genus.

Stem up to 6 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical, hollow inside. Color pale gray, darkening toward the base. Surface with prominent lengthwise ribs and distinctive pits (lacunae) — hence the name. The ribbed structure is like that of crispa, but the color is completely different.

Stem 2.5-4.5 cm tall, 3-7 mm thick, cylindrical, widening at the base. White, smooth, without pronounced ribs. Hollow inside.

The flesh is thin, waxy and brittle, grayish white. Doesn't change color when cut. Fragile texture.

The flesh is thin, waxy-brittle, white. Does not change color when cut. It has a strong unpleasant smell — a diagnostic feature of the species.

Faint mushroomy smell, no sharp notes. We don't taste it — potentially toxic.

A distinct unpleasant smell of the flesh is one of the key diagnostic features. It is described as «musty» or «chemical». We don't taste it — it is inedible and red-listed.