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Gyromitra esculenta, a false morel. When gathering morels for mushrooms, care must be taken to distinguish them from potentially poisonous lookalikes. While a great many morel lookalikes, and even morels themselves are toxic or cause gastrointestinal upset when consumed raw, some, such as Gyromitra esculenta remain toxic even after conventional cooking methods.
Gyromitra esculenta is a member of a group of fungi known as "false morels", so named for their resemblance to the highly regarded true morels of the genus Morchella. The grouping includes other species of the genus Gyromitra , such as G. infula (elfin saddle), G. caroliniana and G. gigas (snow morel).
Real morel mushrooms are also hollow from top to bottom when cut in half, which varies from the filled nature of false morels. Finally, based on outward appearance, real morels are rather uniformly shaped and covered in pits that seem to fall inwards, whereas false morels are often considered more irregularly shaped with wavy ridges that seem ...
Even true morels, if eaten raw, will cause gastrointestinal upset. Typically, morels are thoroughly cooked before eating. Verpa bohemica, although referred to as "thimble morels" or "early morels" by some, have caused toxic effects in some individuals. [11] Gyromitra spp., "false morels", are deadly poisonous if eaten
The name Gyromitra comes from gyro meaning convoluted and mitra meaning turban.. Analysis of the ribosomal DNA of many of the Pezizales showed the genus Gyromitra to be most closely related to the genus Discina, and also Pseudorhizina, Hydnotrya, and only distantly related to Helvella.
Mushroom collectors are famously protective of their hunting sites. Beyond their deliciousness, morels are also notoriously elusive, and expensive.
No matter how experienced you are, if you aren’t 100% sure of a mushroom’s identification, don’t eat it.
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