The Morel Story.....

[J]

wow, well done you 2! Nick, I thought M elata was dk/black and M esculenta was light/yellow....does Paulines mate not have M Esculenta growing...also i thought only the dk ones where known to grow in forest mulch/bark chippings?

Had loadsa rain down here in the past 2 days. going out this weekend to see whats about.

[PMG]

Mmmm........... I thought she was winding me up when I first got the text! I tend to think its a variety of esculenta cos its light coloured but there are bark chippings which will in all prob be conifer - so for me unless it was anyalised I tend to think the commoner one esculenta - just a bit distorted - which many of them are ....... dunno - wouldn't argue - esp not with my favourite Nick!!!

Pauline

[NickCantle]

I would be surprised if this was M. esculenta :P

M. elata is not always black and in the mass majority of cases assumes a conical shape. I'd welcome other thoughts

Good find regardless of species though

[FungiJohn]

Yes, a good find

It's definately not M. esculenta but M. elata as Nick suggests. Note the upper 'oblong' pits.

John

[J]

ok thanks guys. Wow, cant wait to find my first!

[PMG]

Thanks guys - I'm out of practice - been and had a look at it in the real world of Joan's front garden - she must have devastating eyesight to have spotted it in the first place - and yes of course its elata - the shape, the pits and it is quite dark brown in the flesh - not honey-coloured as the photograph - so well done Joan and thanks chaps for ID.

Pauline

[fungi2bwith]

Today while in a wood south of Basingstoke over chalk ground and under Ash (guess what I was looking for ) I found this:



Not what I was looking for, but good nonetheless as I have never seen this before. Does finding Mitrophora semilibera mean that this is the wrong envronment for Morchela esculanta?

[PMG]

Originally Posted by fungi2bwith

Today while in a wood south of Basingstoke over chalk ground and under Ash (guess what I was looking for ) I found this:



Not what I was looking for, but good nonetheless as I have never seen this before. Does finding Mitrophora semilibera mean that this is the wrong envronment for Morchela esculanta?

Well I'd be chuffed with that - more than chuffed in fact - as folk know from earlier threads on here I last saw this species in 1984 in Sea Wood at Ulverston and photographed it with my old Pentax 1000 and slide film.... I've been digital since 1999 and really want to apply the digi to this fabulous species - but have I found it since - despite searching - every year? Nope! Musn't be looking properly - or my eyesight is failing from age ......... or something!

Whether finding one rules out the other I'm not sure - but I am sure Nick or Fungi John will be along soon and will have the answer - but a good find fungi2bwith and a good pic

Pauline

[NickCantle]

Even though the habitats seem very similar, the differences I'm aware of are the soil moisture level (usually greater where M. semilibera grow) and a few subtle foliage differences. I've found a few Mitrophora before and they were all in a damp wood with Ash and Celandine. If I was looking for Morchella, Id be concerned by the lack of Ground Ivy and Wood Anemone. Even though I've never had the pleasure in finding M. esculenta, I'd expect to find it on higher ground and probably in quite close proximity to an Ash. However, fungi can be extremely
unpredictable so I wouldn't be that surprised to see either growing in a habitat made up of some of the aforementioned plants, and not the exact plants that they are 'supposed' to grow alongside...if only Morels read books- we'd all be in luck

That said, the latter species has eluded me for five years so my research notes are more than likely outdated.

[fungi2bwith]

Thanks Nick. Although not in the picture, there was plenty of ground Ivy, but I did not spot any wood anenome.
Garry