Yellow Morel
(Morchella esculentoides)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | not listed |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Yellow Morel is a common, easily recognized mushroom. Morels are one of the “Foolproof Four”, the four most easily identified mushrooms. It is found growing alone, scattered, or clustered on the ground under hardwoods, often poking through leaf litter. The cap is hollow; usually egg-shaped with a blunt, cone-shaped tip; 1¼″ to 4¼″ long; and ¾″ to 2⅜″wide. Sometimes it is round, cone-shaped, or irregular in shape. It is deeply pitted with irregularly shaped and randomly oriented pits. The edges of the pits are broadly angled, not sharp. The overall color of the cap is yellowish-brown. When young the cap is shallowly pitted, the ridges are yellow or whitish, and the pits are grayish-brown or dark brown. When mature the cap is deeply pitted and the ridges are the same color or slightly paler than the pits. The ridges do not darken or turn black with age. The margin of the cap is attached directly to the stalk but it is often creased at that point and may appear unattached. The stalk is usually ⅜″to 2″ long, and ⅜″to 1″thick, usually shorter than the cap. In favorable conditions it may get much longer with age. It is hollow; whitish, pale yellowish-brown, or tan; and usually granular. |
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Similar Species |
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| False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta) surface is folded, not pitted. The cap is not completely fused to the stalk. The stalk is not hollow. Poisonous. | ||
Habitat and Hosts |
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A wide variety of habitats, but especially in deciduous forests under a hardwood tree. |
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Ecology |
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Season |
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May |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 5/27/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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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 |
Morchellaceae (morels and allies) | ||
Genus |
Morchella (true morels) | ||
| Section | Morchella (esculenta clade) | ||
This species was formerly knows as Morchella esculenta, a species common in both Europe and the United States. Recent extensive sampling showed the species to be endemic to Europe and the name could not be applied to North American morels. A taxonomic revision of Morchella published in 2017 renamed the North American morels previously known as M. esculenta as M. esculentoides. |
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Synonyms |
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Morchella esculenta |
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Common Names |
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Common Morel Yellow Morel |
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State mushroom
Yellow Morel is the state mushroom of Minnesota.
Where to look
Morel hunters are notoriously loath to part with information about the location of morels, and will often give disinformation to those who ask. This is a tradition among morel hunters. Most print and online sources agree, however, that morels are often found at the base of elm trees that are either dead or are infected with dutch elm disease and dying.
Visitor Photos |
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Bill Reynolds |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Morchella esculentoides (Yellow Morel) Allen Chartier |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this fungus. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Other Videos |
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| Morchella esculentoides The White Morel Jack Skrceny |
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About
Uploaded on Mar 28, 2007 A quick look at Morchella esculentoides. One of Michigan's spring time fungi. In Michigan, I think there are more morel pickers than deer hunters ! |
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| The Mushroom Whisperer's Jack Skrceny |
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About
Uploaded on May 11, 2009 Morchella esculentoides and Morchella Semilibera hunting May 10, 2009. A beautiful and productive day to be in the woods !! |
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| Morel Mushroom (Ascomycetes: Morchella esculentoides) Carl Barrentine |
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About
Published on Jun 11, 2013 A mycological treat for epicurean foodies, a 20 cm Yellow Morel (Morchella esculentoides)! Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (11 June 2013). |
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| Morel mushrooms Morchella esculentoides chefjoshuaj |
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About
Published on May 11, 2012 How to identify and find morels! |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this fungus. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Bill Reynolds 5/27/2014 |
Location: Pennington Co Minnesota I just check this area yesterday and not a sign. Today, a couple of Morels freshly popping up. Yes, that is Poison Ivy |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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