How to Tell a False Morel Mushroom
Their name notwithstanding, false morels don't look terribly much like true morels, some of the most desirable of North America's edible mushrooms. They aren't even in the same family; false morels, genus Gyromitra, belong to the Helvellaceae, while the Morchella and Verpa genera of morels are classified in the Morchellaceae. (Some references consider Verpa, the thimble morels, in a broad definition of "false morel.") David Arora, a well-known mycologist and author of such indispensable tomes as "Mushrooms Demystified" and "All That the Rain Promises and More...," writes in the former: "Despite the [common] name, Gyromitras are unlikely to be mistaken for morels...because their cap is neither deeply pitted nor conical or thimble-like."
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Instructions
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Identify the false morel (Gyromitra esculenta), widespread in North America, by its heavily convoluted brownish cap, which is not attached to the stem along its entire length as in true morels. The stalk lacks both major exterior ridges and, inside, extensive folding.
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Look for the dark or yellowish-brown, comparatively smooth cap of the umbrella false morel (Gyromitra californica), a common name betraying the caps' frequent form. Obvious ridges extend up the stalk, often crimson or pinkish at its base, into the ventral surface of the cap. Umbrella false morels are widespread in the West, and while they may fruit in any season, most commonly appear in spring and summer.
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Watch for the general massiveness of the snowbank false morel (Gyromitra gigas), which has a very broad stalk and a brain-like cap grading from yellowish-brown to dark brown depending on maturity. The interior of the stalk is convoluted. The appearance of this species, found in mountains of the American West, often coincides with late winter or spring snowmelt.
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Note the relatively un-fissured cap of the hooded false morel (Gyromitra infula), which, as the eponym suggests, sometimes has a hood-shaped crown. The interior of the stalk may be segmented or hollow. Across most of its broad range, the hooded false morel fruits in late summer and autumn.
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Tips & Warnings
Seek out authoritative references such as those mentioned to learn more about mushrooms and mushroom-hunting.
This list is not comprehensive, but rather, following Arora, lists some of the more commonly encountered false morels. Consult a taxonomic key---such as is included in "Mushrooms Demystified"---for more technical identification.
Some people consume certain fully cooked false morels with relish, but these mushrooms may be fatally toxic, in raw form and otherwise, to others. Exercise caution, do your mycological homework and seek expert help if considering harvesting these striking-looking fungi. Indeed, such advice applies to any wild mushrooms. Never rely on your own personal reading to guide you in mushroom identification and certainly mushroom consumption---you don't want to fool around with these remarkable organisms, some of which can pack a truly deadly punch.
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Comments
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Beware of false morels...
