Morchella hortensis

Morphological Features:

Pileus more or less conical in shape, which can exceed 5 cm in height by 3 to 4 cm in width at the base. Its color is grayish-brown, sometimes dark purple almost black. It is entirely traversed by longitudinal ridges intersected by others that form the so-called alveoli. It is hollow and its apex is obtuse. It is not attached to the stipe at the base but slightly higher up, forming a groove that leaves a characteristic skirt-like margin.

Hymenium which, like that of its congeners, is located within the alveoli, while the external ridges are sterile.

Stipe white in color, hollow and cylindrical, smooth or slightly scaly.

Flesh somewhat elastic in consistency in the pileus, fragile and brittle in the stipe, with a mild odor and taste.

Habitat:

A spring species which, as its name suggests, fruits in gardens and orchards, although it can also be found in other locations such as rubbish dumps. The photographed specimens were collected from a garden in our locality.

Observations:

Like other species of its genus, it is excellent for culinary use but requires prior cooking, as it is toxic when raw. It closely resembles Morchella conica, and even Morchella esculenta, distinguishing itself from them macroscopically by the junction of the pileus with the stipe, where it forms that characteristic skirt-like margin visible in our photographs.