Gyromitra tasmanica
False Morel
This specimen is a Web Star! It was found in the Hunua Ranges during a fungal foray by Shirley Kerr and everybody grabbed a shot of it, several ending up on the internet. This is the only stereoscopic version.
Sometimes it is called Helvella tasmanica Berk. It is recorded around the world, including Canary Islands, but not Britain. Gyromitra means "round capped". Gyromitra are ascomycetes related to the cup fungi and like them, the spores are on the exposed surface.
"False morels" or "brain mushrooms" (Hellvelaceae) are convoluted, like a brain and have a smooth surface. The caps overhang the stem, like a skirt. False morels are solid, but true morels are hollow from top to bottom, have pits on the surface and do not overhang the stem. False morels are often brown (like the species here) but also black, grey, white or reddish. Some false morels are poisonous and may contain rocket fuel (monomethylhydrazine) - a liver toxin. People have collapsed from breathing the fumes during cooking. The morel of the story is: "If it's not hollow, do not swallow." Morels are rare in NZ.
