Morchella esculenta group

Image © Teresa Lebel Reproduced by permission Common Name: Morel

These are 'cup' fungi which have been turned inside out during their development so that the spore bearing layer is on the outside. There are several additional species described from Australia including Morchella elata and Morchella conica, based on differences in colour, size and surface features, but these may all be part of one large and variable species. Beware of other poisonous look-alike genera. When in doubt, leave it out (or ask an expert)! In the M. conica group, the 'cap' is often ovoid to subglobose (or conic) and with the ridges irregularly arranged, in contrast to the M. elata group, where the cap is usually elongated and conical, and the ridges are more or less longitudinally arranged. They seem to occur near the coast. RARE.

The following description is for Morchella elata

• Pileus/Cap
  Can be up to 100 x 40 mm, but may occasionally be larger. Cone to spindle-shaped with pronounced vertical ridges with cross-connections, producing a series of rectangular hollows up to 10 mm long. Honey coloured with ridges darkening to brown with age.
• Stipe/stalk
  20-40 mm, hollow, circular, often enlarged at base or top, white to yellow with a rough surface.
• Habitat
  On soil, in open forest, often a year or two after fire or in urban parks and gardens. Usually in Spring.
• Comments
  
• References
  Fuhrer, B. Field Companion to Australian Fungi, p 151. Bougher, N & Syme, K. Fungi of Southern Australia, pp 100-101.

Distribution map

Last modified on 28 May 2001

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