Ep. 216 : Morel Mushrooms

Unknown Morchella species found along Eramosa River in Guelph Ontario, 2023.04.13

Lately a lot of folks I know have been finding Morels (Morchella spp.) in and around the city where I live. Possibly one of the most prized edible fungi on the planet, everyone seems very excited to bring them home and cook them into an ephemeral dish. If I find a bunch I may do the same, but until then I wanted to look into this amazing fruiting body a little bit more.

It wasn’t long ago that I assumed that this genus was just one or two individual species. Turns out I was incorrect. I have also heard that the False Morels (Gyromitra spp.) look a lot like the Morels and it would be difficult to tell them apart… I reviewed it and I think those folks are missing something important in the id features.

One thing about the show.. I wish there were more books on the natural history of these species, which I could have drawn from. Something akin to John Eastman’s, or Carol Gracie’s works. Alas, there is one, but it’s too expensive right now. But it’s out there if you are looking.

Also, the second part of the show is a review of the new National Audubon Society Mushrooms of North America. I hope you find it useful.

Sources for the show :
Ascomycete Fungi of North America: A Mushroom Reference Guide by Michael Beug, Alan E. Bessette, Arleen R. Bessette. University of Texas Press, 2014.
Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada by Timothy J. Baroni. Timber Press, 2017.
National Audubon Society Mushrooms of North America. Knopf, 2023.