The common name used for edible mushrooms in the genus Morchella is morels.
Morels are distinctive sac fungi with honeycomb-like caps made of ridges and pits. They are members of the Ascomycota, the fungal phylum that also includes truffles, many yeasts, and numerous molds. The visible morel is the fruiting body; the rest of the fungus lives as mycelium in its environment.
Morels are prized by cooks for their rich, earthy flavor and are especially associated with spring foraging. They occur across much of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, China, the Himalayas, India, and Pakistan. Black morels are often associated with conifer forests or disturbed ground, while yellow morels commonly occur near deciduous trees.
“Morel” refers to the genus broadly, not just one species. Morchella esculenta is called the common or yellow morel. Taxonomists have debated how many species the genus contains. A crucial safety point is that morels should be thoroughly cooked: raw or undercooked specimens can contain heat-sensitive toxins, and false morels may be dangerous look-alikes.