Morchella semilibera

26 April 2008 Cambridgeshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin

Species

Synonyms

Mitrophora semilibera

Common Name

Semi-free Morel

Cap

More or less conical, convoluted, with angular pits, base open and connected to the stem half way up the inside of the cap, reddish brown to olive brown, about 2 to 8cm high

Stem

Whitish, surface granular, often furrowed, thin walled, hollow, to about 15cm long

Flesh

White, olivaceous brown in the cap, thin, brittle

Smell

Indistinct

Taste

Indistinct

Season

Spring

Distribution

Frequent

Habitat

In woods, in grass, alongside paths, canals etc, often with Hawthorn

Microscopic Features

Spores ellipsoidal (22-30) x (12-18) µm²

Edibility

Edible but poor

Notes

This is a very variable species, and specimens with a large head could easily be mistaken for Morchella elata. However, cutting the fungus in half will show that the lower part of the cap is free from the stem, hence the name.

Additional Photographs

26 April 2008 Cambridgeshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin

21 April 2008 Bedfordshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin

14 April 2008 Bedfordshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin

21 April 2008 Bedfordshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin