The cap is pale brownish cream, yellow to tan or pale brown to grayish brown. The edges of the ridges are usually lighter … See more

The fungus was originally named Phallus esculentus by Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum (1753), and given its current name by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries in 1801.
Morchella e… See more

Fruit bodies are sometimes solitary, but more often in groups, on the ground in a variety of habitats. A preference for soil with a limestone base (alkaline) has been noted, but they have also been found in acid soils. The mushr… See more

Due to the mushroom's prized fruit bodies, several attempts have been made to grow the fungus in culture. In 1901, Repin reported successfully obtaining fruit bodies in a cave in which cultures had been establishe… See more

Morchella esculenta, like all morels, are among the most highly prized of all edible mushrooms. Raw morels have a gastrointestinal irritant, hydrazine (this has never been found in morel samples however it i… See more

• Media related to Morchella esculenta at Wikimedia Commons See more