DeadlyDo not eat
False morel
Gyromitra spp.
Wrinkled brain cap, stuffed stem. Contains gyromitrin, which becomes monomethylhydrazine.
- Marks
- Brain folds; not hollow
- Size
- 2–5 in
- Habitat
- Woods in early spring, often the same weeks as true morels.
- Season
- April–May.
- Frequency
- uncommon
A reddish-brown, lobed, brain-like cap that is not pitted in a honeycomb. Interior is cottony or chambered, not a clean hollow.
If this is the one
Do not eat. Toxins can wreck liver and blood. Some old-timers still eat them — that is not a reason to.
If eaten: Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 and the ER. Save a piece of the mushroom.
Lookalikes
Yellow / gray morel
Morchella spp.
Honeycomb cap continuous with the stem, completely hollow. The spring prize — and a deadly lookalike test.
CautionEdible cooked