Morchella esculenta | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Subdivision: | Pezizomycotina |
Class: | Pezizomycetes |
Order: | Pezizales |
Family: | Morchellaceae |
Genus: | Morchella |
Species: | M. esculenta |
Binomial name | |
Morchella esculenta Fr. |
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Distribution map of Morchella esculenta | |
Synonyms | |
Morchella esculenta | |
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Mycological characteristics | |
smooth hymenium | |
cap is conical or ovate |
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hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable | |
stipe is bare | |
spore print is cream to yellow |
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ecology is mycorrhizal or saprotrophic |
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edibility: choice |
Helvella esculenta (L.) Sowerby
Phallus esculentus L.
cap is conical
spore print is cream
ecology is mycorrhizal
Morchella esculenta, (commonly known as common morel, morel, yellow morel, true morel, morel mushroom, and sponge morel) is a species of fungus in the Morchellaceae family of the Ascomycota. It is one of the most readily recognized of all the edible mushrooms and highly sought after. Each fruit body begins as a tightly compressed, grayish sponge with lighter ridges, and expands to form a large yellowish sponge with large pits and ridges raised on a large white stem. The pitted yellow-brown caps measure 2–7 cm (0.8–2.8 in) broad by 2–10 cm (0.8–3.9 in) tall, and are fused to the stem at its lower margin, forming a continuous hollow. The pits are rounded and irregularly arranged. The hollow stem is typically 2–9 cm (0.8–3.5 in) long by 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) thick, and white to yellow. The fungus fruits under hardwoods during a short period in the spring, depending on the weather, but it is also associated with old orchards, woods, disturbed grounds and burnt areas. Although a process was reported in 1982 to grow the fruit bodies under controlled conditions, attempts to cultivate the mushroom commercially have only been partially successful.
The fungus was originally named Phallus esculentus by Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum (1753), and given its current name by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries in 1801.
Morchella esculenta is commonly known by various names: morel, common morel, true morel, morel mushroom, yellow morel, sponge morel, Molly Moocher, haystack, and dryland fish. In Nepal it is known as Guchi chyau. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin esculenta, meaning "edible".