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False Morel, Brain Mushroom, Turban Fungus
Gyromitra esculenta, the false morel or brain mushroom, is a spring ascomycete with an irregular, brain-like brown cap on a pale stem. It contains gyromitrin, which the body converts to monomethylhydrazine (MMH), a toxin that damages the liver and nervous system and has caused deaths. Although traditionally eaten after parboiling in parts of Europe and the upper Great Lakes, it is deadly poisonous raw and no preparation makes it reliably safe.
Deadly poisonous. Contains gyromitrin, converted to monomethylhydrazine (MMH); symptoms begin about 6-12 hours after eating and can progress to liver failure, coma and death. Cooking fumes can poison the cook, and parboiling does not remove all toxin. Do not eat. True morels (Morchella) are pitted like a sponge and hollow from cap to stem base.
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Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
