Created: 2008-06-26 11:27:05

By: Douglas Smith (douglas)

Summary: Ok, more info -

Quotes taken from a posting to BayAreaMushrooms discussion list, in an e-mail from Steve Trudell on 5/21/2008. He quotes from the book “A Morel Hunter’s Companion”, Nancy Smith Weber (1988). Which he says states:

Attempts to identify what has been called “Gyromitra gigas” in North America have led mycologists to describe two new species in the genus. Raitviir (1970) described G. korfii for those specimens with relatively narrow spores and prominent knoblike apiculi at each end. A collection from the state of New York is the type. G. korfii seems to be the taxon discussed under the name G. fastigiata by McKnight (1971). Harmaja (1973) took exception to this interpretation and claimed that this taxon [I think this is referring to McKnight’s gigas, but that last sentence is confusing to me] was an undescribed species. Harmaja named it G. montana and designated a collection from the Teton Mountains as the type. In his view, the true G. gigas had not yet been found in North America. In view of the contradictory opinions on the characters of G. gigas, we have chosen to use names for which there are types. Names, furthermore, that are tied to specimens actually collected in North America. (She then gives descriptions of G. korfii and G. montana.)

So, ok, a quote from another discussion of a quote, but you get the gist here.