”The cap is hollow and covered in an irregular array of pits separated by narrow ridges. I’ve included some photos of similar mushrooms from a walk we took last year.
GeorgeFlavour Fred
The colour ranges from pale cream to ochre, yellowish brown or mid-brown, usually darkening with age. The ribs along the ridges between pits are usually slightly paler than the interior of the pits. The conical cap margins are inrolled and fused to the stem. The fertile surfaces, lined with microscopic spore-producing asci (sexual reproductive cells in Ascomycota fungi), are within the pits while the ridges are infertile.
This highly prized and rare mushroom is pretty uncommon, and I’ve only found a couple of kilos in my life. Once they’ve completed their reproductive process, we’ll consider eating them but they must be cooked. They have a deep meaty flavour and I’m eagerly looking forward to trying some later in spring. They are an Ascomycetes, which means they have sacs of spores that get releases from the surface area rather than tubes gills or spines that release spores (basidiomycetes). I’ll also be searching for black morels (Morchella elata) found in woodchip areas. Care should be taken as there’s a deadly false morel (Gyromitra esculenta) that can be fatal if consumed in large quantities.
