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Black Morel
Morchella elata Fr. (1822) is a black morel of the Elata clade (also called Distantes), whose sterile ridges darken as the fruit body matures. Until about 2012 the name was applied to black morels worldwide, but O'Donnell et al. (2011) found North American black morels largely distinct from European ones, and Kuo et al. (2012) named many of them as separate species. The application of the name is still unsettled: Richard et al. (2015) suggest Fries' concept may match lineage Mel-10, described from North America as M. importuna.
Edible only when thoroughly cooked; raw or undercooked morels cause poisoning, possibly from a heat-labile toxin. Some people react even to cooked morels, and mild reactions have been reported when eaten with alcohol. Look-alikes: Gyromitra (false morels) have wrinkled, brain-like caps with a chambered interior; Verpa caps attach only at the stem apex and the stem contains cottony tissue. Slice each morel lengthwise to confirm one continuous hollow.
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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 Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
