Morchella esculenta (commonly known as common morel, morel, yellow morel, true morel, morel mushroom, and sponge morel) is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae of the Ascomycota.
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 broad by 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 long by thick, and white to yellow.
The fungus fruits under hardwoods and conifers during a short period in the spring, depending on the weather, and is also associated with old orchards, woods and disturbed grounds. It is one of the most readily recognized of all the edible mushrooms and highly sought after.
Taxonomy
The fungus was originally named Phallus esculentus by Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum (1753),
It can also be found in Brazil and Bulgaria.
Uses
In Jammu and Kashmir wild mushrooms, locally known as Himalayan wild mushroom, Gucchi, Morchella conica and M. esculenta, are gathered and supplied as medical remedy.
Edibility
thumb|Harvested morels
Morchella esculenta, like all morels, are among the most highly prized of all edible mushrooms. Raw morels have a gastrointestinal irritant, hydrazine (although this has not been isolated in samples), but parboiling or blanching before consumption will remove it. Old fruit bodies that show signs of decay may be poisonous.