Northern Country Morels-Indentifying Morel Mushrooms

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Warning and Disclaimer
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Six simple words to always keep in mind while mushroom hunting.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!

A WORD OF CAUTION:

Certain types of poisonous mushrooms actually contain a deadly chemical called monomethylhydrazine.Monomethylhydrazine is a substance used in rocket fuel. Eating mushrooms containing thissubstance has caused many fatalities. Some mushrooms that contain this deadly chemical are"Gyromitra korfi", Gyromitra esculenta, and the "Verpa bohemica" just to name a few fromthe morel family. Some people have eaten these false morels for years with no ill symptomsthen one day they become sicker than a dog resulting in death. These false morels are listedbelow. The beefsteak morel or "Gyromitra esculenta" is one of those mushrooms that many peoplestill eat today but are known to cause very ill effects such as vomiting, stomach cramps, highfever rash and even death. Like I said, some people can eat these types of mushrooms for years and never get sick. Thenone day they croak after one bite... So please, dont take a chance, it's not worth it.

A few more things to keep in mind when hunting morels. A true morel will always be hollow inside.A false morel will contain cotton like fibers inside when split open. The half free morel "morchella semilibera"and the "Verpa Bohemica" The False Morel" are probably the two most morels that people get confused or mixed up. Theyboth look very much alike. The "Half Free" morel has a long slender stem with a small pitted cap that is notfully attached to the stem and are hollow when cut open. They vary in colors from yellow, tan, brownand black. "The Verpa Bohemica" has very much the same description as the "Half Free" exceptthe cap tends to appear more wrinkled then pitted and is barley attached to the stem. It kind of justlike hangs there like a skirt over the stem. Another important feature is that the stem has cotton likefibers when cut open instead of being hollow.

SO REMEMBER THIS. IF IT ISN'T HOLLOW DON'T SWALLOW!!!

Verpa Bohemica

Verpa-(aka False Morel

Verpa Bohemica (aka Fase Morel)
Notice that the stem is filled with a white cottony fibersubstance as where a true morel will always behollow. Also take note how the cap is barelyattached to the stem.It just sort of hangs like a skirt.

Morchella Semilibera
Verpa-(aka False Morel

Morchella Semilibera (aka Half-Free Morel)
Notice that this has a hollow stem. There is no cotton like substance present. Also notice that the cap is attached to the stem about half way down the cap. That is why it is known as the half-free Morel.

Morchella elata: the "black morel"

"2006" Black Morel

Morchella elata: the "black morel"

The Black morel kicks off the start of the morel season. These are the first of the true morels to fruit. Normally shortly after or during the fruiting season of the verpas ("False Morels") The black morel can be anywhere from half an inch high to over a foot tall. Some are very dark in coloralmost like a charcoal color while others may appear more of a dark brown to a light tan or honey color. The color depends a lot on which specie of black morel you are dealing with. Other scientific names are Morchella angusticeps and morchella conica. As with all true morels the inside of the stem is hollow throughout the cap. The cap is attached to the stem. This is possibly the best eating of all morels. They tend to be thicker and have more of a meaty texture. Typically black morels can be found near Ash, Apens and poplars and maples.

"A dark gray variation of Morchella esculenta:"

"2006" Grey Morel

Morchella esculenta: Grey

The Grey morel will appear anywhere from a light to dark gray. Some grey morels will start out as a grayish color but as they mature they can change from grey to yellow and certain species will remain grey throughout their life cycle. Also with grey morels the pits in the cap are more dense than that of other morels. The Grey morel can grow up to foot tall given the right conditions. Some people believe that the Grey morel is actually a yellow morel and is all a part of the same species. Typically Grey morels can be found near ash, apens, apple trees and dead elms.

Morchella esculenta: the "Yellow Morel"

"2006"White/Yellow Morels

Morchella esculenta: Yellow

The Grey morel will appear anywhere from a light to dark gray. Some grey morels will start out as a grayish color but as they mature they can changefrom grey to yellow and certain species will remain grey throughout their life cycle. Also with grey morels the pits in the cap are more dense than that of other morels. The Grey morel can grow up to foot tall given the right conditions. Some people believe that the Grey morel is actually a yellow morel and is all a part of the same species. Typically Grey morels can be found near ash, apens, apple trees and dead elms.

Morchella Semilibera: The "Half-Free" Morel

"2006" Half-Free Morel

Morchella Semilibera: The "Half-Free

The half-free morel will traditionally fruit just after the blacks, usually continuing into the yellow season. Certain years it is quite common, while in other years you may not find any at all. I myself have not seen very may in my years but one year I found a mother load of them growing on a hillside of heavy foliage. I return to this spot every year for the past 3 years and have only found blacks. A half-free morel usually has a long skinny stem and is hollow throughout and so is the cap. The cap is attached to the stem about halfway down, creating a skirt like appearance. The half-free morel is good and edible. These morels crumble easily and usually fall apart at the bottom of your bag by the time you get home. The half-free morel has a look-alike can be confused with another mushroom called the verpa bohemica. The verpa is not considered all out poisonous, like the Beefsteak morels, but it has been known to affect some people negatively (stomach upsets, loss of coordination and diarrhea). The verpa does however contain a very small ammount of a deadly toxins that can build up in the body after a wile and could end up causing a sudden death. The verpa's cap is not like the half-free morel; it is nearly completely free. The cap hangs down from the top of the stem like a skirt; but the most obvious detection of the verpa is that when you cut it open lengthwise they have little wisps of cottony fibers inside them, whereas half-free morels are hollow like all true morels.

CAUTION THE FOLLOWING MUSHROOMS LISTED ARE CONSIDERED TO BE POISONUS AND SHOULD NOT NOT BE CONSUMED. SOME PEOPLE MAY CLAIM TO EAT THESE BUT WE URGE YOU THAT IT IS NOT A WISE PRACTICE TO DO SO. THESE MUSHROOMS CONTAIN A DEADLY TOXIN CALLED MONOMETHYLHYDRAZINE (MMH). THE SAME SUBSTANCE FOUND IN ROCKET FUEL. YOU HAVE BEEN FORE WARNED!

Gyromitra esculenta: "Beefsteak Morel"

"2006" Gyromitra Esculenta-Beefsteak

Gyromitra esculenta: "Beefsteak Morel"

The Gyromitra esculenta commonly known as the "Beefsteak Morel" Fruiting usually takes place early in the season during the blacks. This mushroom has a wavy brainy like cap and is fleshy; unlike the true morel which consists of a pitted cap more like a sponge. The beefsteak colors range from a reddish brown cap to a dark purple color and the stem is a creamy off white or yellowish color. When cut open they are fleshy inside and contain air pockets. These are not fully hollow like the true morel. These mushrooms contain toxins and are considered poisonous. Some people choose to eat these; and have no ill effects after eating them but to some they tend to make very ill and there have been reported fatalities from consuming these mushrooms.

NOTE: IT IS NOT WISE AND IS A DANGEROUS PRACTICE TO CONSUME THE BEEFSTEAK AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS!

Verpa bohemica:

"2006" Verpa bohemica:

Verpa bohemica: "False Morel (aka)Wrinkled thimble cap"

The Verpa bohemica is probably the most mistaken mushroom and the probably the most difficult to distinguish from the true morel Morchella Semilibera (the Hal-free morel) but if you know what to look for is pretty obvious. The verpa is considered an early morel but will continue fruiting throughout the morel season. The verpa's cap is barely attached to the stem and bears a skirt-like appearance whereas the half-free cap is attached somewhere in the middle. Another obvious sign is that the verpa when cut open lengthwise the stem contains cottony like wisps of fibers. The half free is hollow. Also the cap of the verpa has more of a wrinkled appearance whereas the half-free is more like pitted. The verpa is considered poisonous and should not be eaten; there are many reports of ill effects and poisoning as well as allergic reactions to consuming these mushrooms.

I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT Northern Country Morels DOES NOT RECOMEND USING THE PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE OR ANY OTHER PAGES ON THIS SITE FOR IDENTIFYING MUSHROOMS. THIS PAGE AND THE CONTENT OF THIS SITE IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY. IF YOU ARE NOT 100% ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY SURE OF A MUSHROOM'S IDENTITIY, THROW IT OUT!

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Identifying Morels