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Morchella elata and Morchella esculenta |
Morchella esculenta, the Common Morel, fruits from
March to May and is a popular edible fungus, as is Morchella elata (illustrated above). There is a danger of
confusing morels with the deadly poisonous Gyromitra esculenta.
Identification guide |
Description |
The hollow conical or egg-shaped cap of this
popular edible species is deeply pitted, rather like an irregular
honeycomb. Within the pits the surface varies from pale brown to grey
and darkens with age.
Smooth at the top but usually grooved near the base, the stipe has just one hollow chamber. The specimen illustrated here is the black morel, Morchella elata, a very closely related species with a more pointed cap than Morchella esculenta and with the cap pits tending to align in vertical rows. Not all experts treat the many varieties of morels as separate species, and for the amateur enthusiast's purposes they may as well be treated as one. They are all good edible fungi. |
Dimensions |
Cap 3 to 8 cm in diameter and 6 to 8 cm tall; stem 1 to 3 cm diameter and 4 to 10 cm tall. |
Spore print |
Pale cream. |
Odour/taste |
Not distinctive. |
Habitat |
On rich, well-drained soil under trees; often beneath hedges and on disturbed soil at the edge of a garden. |
Season |
April and May. |
Occurrence |
Infrequent. |
Similar species |
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