It grows from two to four inches high and is known by most people as the Sponge mushroom. It grows in woods and wood borders, especially beside wood streams. Old apple and peach orchards are favorite places for Morels. It makes no difference if the beginner cannot identify the species, as they are all equally good. I have seen collectors have for sale a bushel basketful, in which half a dozen species were represented.
They dry very easily and can be kept for winter use. It is said to grow in great profusion over burnt districts. The German peasants were reputed to have burned forest tracts to insure an abundant crop. I find that more people know the Morels than any other mushroom. They are found through April and May, after warm rains.
_Morch.e.l.la deliciosa. Fr._
THE DELICIOUS MOREL. EDIBLE.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 410.--Morch.e.l.la deliciosa. Two-thirds natural size.]
This and the preceding species would indicate by their names that they have been held in high esteem for a long time, as Profs. Persoon and Fries, who named them, lived more than a hundred years ago. The Delicious Morel is recognized by the shape of its cap, which is generally cylindrical, sometimes pointed, and slightly curved. The stem is rather short and, like the stem of all Morels, is hollow from the top to the bottom.
It is found a.s.sociated with other species of Morels, in woods and wood borders, also in old apple and peach orchards. They need to be cooked slowly and long. Coming early in the spring, they are not likely to be infested with worms. The flesh is rather fragile and not very watery.
They are easily dried. Found through April and May.
_Morch.e.l.la esculenta var. conica. Pers._
THE CONICAL MOREL. EDIBLE.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._
Plate LII. Figure 411.--Morch.e.l.la esculenta var. conica.]
The Conical Morel is very closely related to M. esculenta and M.
deliciosa, from which it differs in having the cap longer than it is wide, and more pointed, so that it is conical or oblong-conical. The plant, as a general thing, grows to be larger than the other species.
It is, however, pretty hard to distinguish these three species. The Conical Morel is quite abundant about Chillicothe. I have found Morels especially plentiful about the reservoirs in Mercer County, and in Auglaize, Allen, Harden, Hanc.o.c.k, Wood and Henry Counties. I have known lovers of Morels to go on camping tours in the woods about the reservoirs for the purpose of hunting them, and to bring home large quant.i.ties of them.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 412.--Morch.e.l.la esculenta var. conica. Two-thirds natural size.]
_Morch.e.l.la angusticeps. Pk._
THE NARROW-CAP MOREL. EDIBLE.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 413.--Morch.e.l.la angusticeps.]
Angusticeps is from two Latin words: _angustus_, narrow; _caput_, head.
This species and M. conica are so nearly alike that it is very difficult to identify them with any degree of satisfaction. In both species the cap is considerably longer than broad, but in angusticeps the cap is slimmer and more pointed. The pits, as a general thing are longer than in the other species. They are often found in orchards but are also frequently found in low woods under black ash trees. I have found some typical specimens about the reservoirs. The specimens in Figure 413 were collected in Michigan, and photographed by Prof. B. O. Longyear.
They appear very early in the spring, even while we are still having frosts.
_Morch.e.l.la semilibera. D. C._
THE HYBRID MOREL. EDIBLE.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 414.--Morch.e.l.la semilibera. One-half natural size.]
Semilibera means half free, and it is so called because the cap is bell-shaped and the lower half is free from the stem. The cap is rarely more than one inch long, and is usually much shorter than the stem, as is indicated in Figure 414. The pits on the cap are longer than broad.
The stem is white or whitish and somewhat mealy or scurvy, hollow, and often swollen at the base. I found the specimens in Figure 414 about the last of May under elm trees, in James Dunlap"s woods. They are quite plentiful there. I do not detect any difference in the flavor of these and other species.
_Morch.e.l.la bispora. Sor._
THE TWO-SPORED MOREL. EDIBLE.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 415.--Morch.e.l.la bispora. One-half natural size.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate LIII. Figure 416.--Morch.e.l.la bispora.
The two-spored Morel. Edible. Showing the cap free from the stem quite to the top.]
Bispora, two-spored, differs from the other species in the fact that the cap is free from the stem quite to the top. The distinguishing characteristic, which gives name to the species, can be seen only by the aid of a strong microscope. In this species there are only two spores in each ascus or sac, and these are much larger than in the other species, which have eight spores in a sac or ascus. The ridges, as will be seen in Figure 415, run from the top to the bottom. The stem is much longer than the cap, hollow, and sometimes swollen at the base. The whole plant is fragile and very tender. The plants in Figure 415 were collected in Michigan by Prof. Longyear. Those in the full page display were found near Columbus and were photographed by Dr. Kellerman. It seems to have a wide range, but is nowhere very plentiful.
The spores can be readily obtained from morels by taking a mature specimen and placing it on white paper under a gla.s.s for a few hours.
The beginner will find much difficulty in identifying the species of Morels; but if he is collecting them for food he need not give the matter any thought, since none need be avoided, and they are so characteristic that no one need be afraid to gather them.
_Morch.e.l.la cra.s.sipes. Pers._
THE GIGANTIC MOREL. EDIBLE.
Cra.s.sipes is from _cra.s.sus_, thick; _pes_, foot.
The cap resembles the cap of M. esculenta in its form and irregular pitting, but it is quite a little larger. The stem is very stout, much longer than the pileus, often very much wrinkled and folded. I have found only a few specimens of this species. Found in April and May.
_Verpa. Swartz._
Verpa means a rod. Ascospore smooth or slightly wrinkled, free from the sides of the stem, attached at the tip of the stem, bell-shaped, thin; hymenium covering the entire surface of the ascospore; asci cylindrical, 8-spored. The spores are elliptical, hyaline; paraphyses septate.
The stem is inflated, stuffed, rather long, tapering downward.
_Verpa digitaliformis. Pers._
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 417.--Verpa digitaliformis.]
Digitaliformis is from _digitus_, a finger, and _forma_, a form.
The pileus is bell-shaped, attached to the tip of the stem, but otherwise free from it; olive-umber in color; smooth, thin, closely pressed to the stem, but always free; the edge sometimes inflexed.
The stem is three inches high, tapering downward, furnished at the base with reddish radicels; white, with a reddish tinge; apparently smooth, but under the gla.s.s quite scaly; loosely stuffed. The asci are large, 8-spored, the spores being elliptical. The paraphyses are slender and septate.
Figure 417 represents several plants, natural size. The one in the righthand corner is old, with a ragged pileus; the vertical section shows the pithy contents of the stem. The plants are found in cool, moist, and shady ravines from May to August. Edible, but not very good.
_Gyromitra. Fr._