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EDIBLE AND POISONOUS MUSHROOMS OF CANADA
MORCHELLA ESCULENTA Fr. Edible
I igiiic 376, page 281 ; f iguic 427, page 304
Common Morel
PILEUS 2-5 in. long and %-l ^2 in. thick at the widest point, sometimes
much larger, usually more or less ovoid to somewhat conical or sometimes
subglobose, the surface covered with rounded to irregular or somewhat
elongated pits, irregularly arranged or often more or less in rows, gray-brown
to yellowish brown, the edges of the pits colored Hke the interior or paler, and
finally becoming thin and somewhat torn, stipe 1-4 in. long, 1/2-1 in. thick,
white to cream color or yellowish, at first cyHndric, becoming more or less
compressed and furrowed, sometimes much thickened at the base, glabrous to
sHghtly floccose, mealy, hollow, asci cyHndric, eight-spored 225-325 X (15)
18-22 (27) fjL. ASCOSPORES slightly yellowish in deposits, ellipsoid, smooth, one-
celled, (12) 16-22 (26) X (7.5) 11-13 (14) /x.
Singly or gregarious in open woods, orchards, or grassy places. May or
early June.
This is the common morel and is highly regarded as one of the best of the
edible fungi. The pitted, sponge-Uke pilei are very characteristic and unhkely to
be mistaken for anything else. However, care must be taken to distinguish
Gyromitra esculenta, or false morel, which occurs at the same time of year and
has a wrinkled and convoluted, rather than pitted, pileus.
MORCHELLA ANGUSTICEPS Peck Edible
Figure 377, page 281 ; Figure 428, page 304
Narrow-capped Morel
PILEUS %-2i/2 in. long, Vx-'^Va in. broad at the base, more or less elon-
gated to narrowly conic, the surface covered with somewhat elongated pits
arranged more or less in vertical rows, yellowish or yellowish brown within,
the edges smoky brown to black, stipe %-21/2 in. long, i/^-l in. thick, white to
yellowish, cylindric or enlarged at the base, often furrowed toward the base,
floccose-mealy, hollow, asci cyHndric, eight-spored, 200-300 X 16-22 (26) ju-
ASCOSPORES yellowish in a deposit, eUipsoid, smooth, one-celled, 1 8-25 (29) X
11-15 M.
June.
Singly or gregarious in open woods or at the edges of woods. May or early
This morel is distinguished from the common morel by its more conical
pileus, scurfy stipe, and elongated pits with dark edge. It is fully as good to eat
as the common morel. M. conica Fr. is probably the same species.
VERPA BOHEMICA (Krombh.) Schrot. Edible
Figure 378, page 281
PILEUS about V2-I V2 ill- loi^g ^^^ V^-^ Va ii^- ii^ diameter, somewhat bellshaped,
attached to the apex of the stalk and hanging down around it with the
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