Morchella sextelata
| Morchella sextelata | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Pezizomycetes |
| Order: | Pezizales |
| Family: | Morchellaceae |
| Genus: | Morchella |
| Species: | M. sextelata |
| Binomial name | |
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Morchella sextelata M.Kuo (2012) |
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Morchella sextelata is a species of ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Described as new to science in 2012, it is found in North America (in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Yukon Territory). It has also been found in China, although it is not known if this is a result of an accidental introduction or natural dispersion. The fruit bodies have a roughly conical cap up to 7.5 cm (3 in) tall and 5 cm (2 in) wide, with a surface of mostly vertically arranged pits. The cap is initially yellowish to brownish, but it darkens to become almost black in maturity. The stipe is white and hollow, measuring 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) high by 1–2.2 cm (0.4–0.9 in) wide.
Morchella sextelata is one of four species of wildfire-adapted morels in western North America, the others being M. capitata, M. septimelata, and M. tomentosa. M. sextelata cannot be reliably distinguished from M. septimelata without the use of DNA analysis.
Morchella sextelata was originally identified as phylogenetic species "Mel-6" in the species-rich Elata clade (brown morels) elucidated by microbiologist Kerry O'Donnell and colleagues in a 2011 publication. The specific epithet sextelata alludes to this preliminary name. Although M. sextelata is not distinguishable from Morchella septimelata on physical or ecological characteristics, they are clearly genetically distinct species, and can be differentiated by comparing DNA sequences or with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.Allopatric speciation is thought to have been the driving evolutionary force that caused M. sextelata to diverge from its ancestors roughly 25 million years ago. The original specimens collected were obtained as part of the Morel Data Collection Project, a research effort designed to improve the understanding of North American morels.
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