Morels, prized edible fungi with honeycomb-like caps, belong to which genus? Morchella is the answer.
Morchella contains the true morels, a genus of edible sac fungi in the order Pezizales. Their distinctive caps are built from ridges and pits, producing the honeycomb appearance that makes morels recognizable. The cap and stalk are generally hollow, although shape and color vary widely among species.
Morels are prized in French, Catalan, and other cuisines, but they should be cooked: raw or undercooked morels can cause gastrointestinal illness, and some people react even to cooked specimens. Commercial supply still relies heavily on wild harvesting because large-scale cultivation has historically been difficult.
Taxonomy is more complicated than the familiar name suggests. DNA studies have revealed many distinct, regionally restricted species, grouped broadly into white, yellow, and black morel lineages. Morchella was typified in 1794 with Morchella esculenta. True morels should not be confused with Verpa, the thimble morels, which belong to a related but separate genus.