Morel conical (Morchella esculenta)
Systematics:- Department: Ascomycota (Ascomycetes)
- Subdivision: Pezizomycotina (Pesizomycotins)
- Class: Pezizomycetes (Pecicomycetes)
- Subclass: Pezizomycetidae (Pecicomycetes)
- Order: Pezizales
- Family: Morchellaceae (Morels)
- Genus: Morchella (Morel)
- Species: Morchella esculenta (Morel conical)
Synonyms:
Morchella conica
To date (2018), Morchella esculenta has been classified as a Morel.
Hat: conical elongated, up to 3 cm in diameter, up to 10 cm in height. Reddish-brown with a green or gray tint. It happens black or also with a shade of brown. A cap fused with a leg. The hat is hollow inside. The surface is cellular, reticulate, honeycomb-like.
Stem: hollow, straight, whitish or yellowish in color. Cylindrical with longitudinal grooves.
Pulp: fragile, white, waxy. In its raw form, it does not have a particularly pronounced smell and taste.
Distribution: Occurs on well-heated soils, fires and deforestation. The mushroom can often be found in aspen forests. Morel is conical, like all morels, bears fruit in spring, you need to look for it from April to mid-May. Morels prefer places where there is a carrion, so lovers of this species sometimes plant them at home in the garden around old apple trees.
Similarity: has some similarities with a related species - Morel cap. With poisonous and inedible mushrooms, it has no similarity. In principle, morels are generally difficult to confuse with well-known poisonous mushrooms.
Edible: Morel conical - edible mushroom with delicate tasty pulp. In this case, it is considered conditionally edible and requires preliminary welding for 15 minutes.
Notes: This species can be called a medicinal and beneficial species. Morels have been used since ancient times for the treatment and prevention of the visual organs. The conical morel contains substances that have a beneficial effect on the lens of the eye and eye muscles. In modern medicine, on the basis of these mushrooms, preparations are made for the treatment and prevention of cataracts and other eye diseases.