False Morel
(Gyromitra esculenta)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | N5 - Secure |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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False Morel is a common early mushroom in the forests of northern Unites States and Canada. It is found in the spring and early summer alone, scattered, or in groups, on the ground under coniferous or hardwood trees. It is saprobic, obtaining nutrients from rotting wood, and might also be mycorrhizal, having a mutually beneficial relationship with the tiny rootlets of trees. It may exhibit both traits at different parts of its life cycle. The cap is sometimes cup-shaped and nearly smooth when it first appears, soon becoming lobed or saddle-shaped and becoming wrinkled when still young. Mature caps are 1½″ to 3⅛″tall and 1¼″ to 4¾″ wide, hollow or chambered, and intricately wrinkled, brain-like. It is not pitted. The surface color is regionally variable, reddish-, purplish- or yellowish-brown, dark brown, or brown. The cap is usually attached at several points to the stalk. The stalk is ¾″ to 4″tall, and ⅜″ to 1″ in diameter. It is rounded or figure 8 in cross section, and yellowish or tinged a color similar to but paler than the cap. It may be grooved but it is not ribbed. The flesh is thin, brittle, and whitish. It is poisonous. |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat and Hosts |
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Deciduous and coniferous forests |
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Biology |
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Season |
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Spring or early summer |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 6/2/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Widespread. Locally common. |
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Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Fungi (fungi) | ||
| Subkingdom | Dikarya | ||
| Phylum | Ascomycota (sac fungi) | ||
| Subphylum | Pezizomycotina | ||
| Class | Pezizomycetes | ||
| Subclass | Pezizomycetidae | ||
Order |
Pezizales | ||
Family |
Discinaceae | ||
Genus |
Gyromitra | ||
| Subgenus | Gyromitra | ||
Synonyms |
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Gyromitra esculenta var. alba Gyromitra esculenta var. aurantiaca Gyromitra esculenta var. crispa Gyromitra esculenta var. fragilis Gyromitra esculenta var. fulva Helvella esculenta |
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Common Names |
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Brain Mushroom False Morel |
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Glossary
Mycorrhizal
A symbiotic, usually beneficial relationship between a fungus and the tiny rootlets of a plant, usually a tree.
Saprobic
Obtaining nutrients from non-living organic matter, such as decaying plant or animal matter.
Poisonous
Morel mushrooms (Morchella spp.) are some of the best known and most sought after wild mushrooms in North America. They are particularly abundant in the upper Midwest. They are edible, considered delicious, and are hunted for in deciduous woodlands every spring. False morels (Gyromitra spp.) look superficially similar and appear at the same time of year in roughly the same areas. However, false morels are poisonous. They contain the chemical gyromitrin, which is metabolized in the body into a volatile chemical used as a rocket propellant.
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Luciearl |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Gyromitra Esculenta ( The Beefsteak ) Jack Skrceny |
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About
Published on Mar 21, 2007 A short description of Gyromitra Esculenta, another false Morel.This mushroom is still being eaten by some people that think it's safe. It's not! |
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| False Morel Mushrooms - Gyromitra esculenta (Sac Fungi) 2014 updated The Roaming Gnome...Glenn Munro! VRCM/SkyWarn |
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About
Published on Aug 24, 2016 Glenn Munro and his foraging...cousin Jason Clark... are on the prowl, for Morels. How ever they find...a red head fungus... that looks like a big ol ball of bark. Its an imposter. WARNING - Do not eat these! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyromitra_esculenta |
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| Morel vs False Morel ~ Some Identifying tips TheMushroomGuru |
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About
Published on May 5, 2011 There are a few different species of false morel. The one in this video, Gyromitra esculenta is a little easier to ID than the species Verpa Bohemica, which can look almost identical to true morels, especially to the eager morel seeker. Be sure to check all your morels carefully. |
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| 057 RSW The Difference Between a Real Morel Mushroom and a False Morel Rosa String Works |
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About
Published on Apr 10, 2015 Here's a look at a "false" Morel compared to a real Morel mushroom. Some people eat both kinds. But some people get sick eating the false morel (also called the "Big Reds") by some people. Eating mushrooms that are NOT KNOWN to be SAFE can be fatal! |
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| False Morels: My Thoughts Wild 4 the Outdoors TV |
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About
Published on Apr 25, 2014 T-Mac finds some false Morels (beefsteak) mushrooms: WARNING Mushrooms when consumed can kill you if not identified correctly. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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| Luciearl 5/14/2023 |
Location: Fairview Twp., Cass County |
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| Luciearl 5/8/2020 |
Location: Cass County |
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| Luciearl 2/14/2018 |
Location: Fairview Township, MN |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 3/8/2018
Last Updated: