Morchella elata

Morphological Features:

Pileus distinctly conical with a pointed apex, measuring 3 to 4 cm in diameter at the base and reaching up to 10 cm in height. It is hollow internally and attached at its base to the stipe. Grayish-brown in color, it is traversed along its entire length by longitudinal ridges intersected by horizontal ones that form the alveoli.

Hymenium located on the inner surfaces of the alveolar cavities. The external ridges are sterile and tend to darken rapidly.

Stipe pale flesh-colored, rugose, and covered with granulations; it may be cylindrical but generally thickens upwards to nearly the width of the pileus. Like the pileus, it is hollow.

Flesh fragile with a brittle consistency, mild in flavor and pleasant in odor.

Habitat:

It is an exclusively spring-fruiting species found in forests, but also occurring in parks or gardens; thus, it is quite cosmopolitan, although it remains a rare and infrequently encountered mushroom.

Observations:

It is a choice edible, but must be cooked thoroughly beforehand like all Morchella species, as it is toxic when raw. This species is not easy to locate and closely resembles Morchella cónica, which has an obtuse rather than pointed apex and a less distinct attachment between the pileus and stipe; however, many authors tend to treat them as synonymous.