INTRODUCTION

The genus Helvella (Helvellacae, Peziziomycetes) is characterized by saddle or cup-shaped fruiting bodies with lobes or wrinkles, and is commonly found in valleys, mossy areas, or grassy fields. Some Helvella species play an important ecological role in forest ecosystems by growing mycorrhizae [1], while H. jocatoi and H. bachu are used as food ingredients in some countries [2,3], Therefore, Helvella species are valuable forest resources.

Research on the Helvella genus has previously been conducted in Europe and the USA, with a primary focus on species diversity and phylogenetic relationships [4-13]. In Europe, using morphological characteristics and molecular biology data, the boundaries of some challenging-to-distinguish Helvella species have been clearly delineated, revealing that many Helvella species exhibit regional endemism [8]. This highlights the need for future research on Asian Helvella species. Since then, active research on Asian Helvella species has been conducted in China, revealing the presence of numerous cryptic species within Helvella and highlighting the differences in their distribution between Europe and Asia [9,11,13-15]. New and unrecorded Helvella species continue to be reported worldwide. In Korea, there had been no reports of H. costifera prior to its discovery in 2010 [16].

In this study, Helvella spp. discovered in Taebaek City were analyzed using morphological and molecular biological approaches. In the present study, we confirmed that this species has not been recorded in Korea; therefore, it was listed as an unrecorded species.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

H. orienticrispa, a previously unrecorded species in Korea, was discovered in the present study, and grows mainly in coniferous forests [14]. This species is distinguished from other Helvella species by its broadly spread, saddle-shaped apothecium and its upper and outer surfaces of the ascocarp cup, which are both cream colored and have fine white hairs on the outer surface. On the other hand, H. crispa, was f irst reported in Europe in 1823; as phylogenetic classification studies of Helvella species have progressed worldwide, it has been found to possess regional endemism, and several cryptic species with very similar morphologies have also been identified [8,11,14]. Recent phylogenetic classification studies of Helvella species in China suggest that H. crispa is not present in China [11], instead, several new species similar to H. Crispa, such as H. involuta, H. orienticrispa, H. pseudoreflexa, and H. zhongtiaoensis, have been recently reported [14]. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the presence or absence of H. crispa in South Korea.