Part 60

Outer surface: whitish or pale fawn and finely scurfy.

Flesh: whitish or fawn, and appearing as if layered.

Spores: very long, ellipsoid, smooth and 15-16 × 9-10 µm in size; eight contained in an elongate, cylindrical ascus.

Habitat & Distribution: On bare soil in woods, farm-yards, hedgerows, etc.

General Information: There are many different species of Peziza classified on the shape and ornamentation of the spores and colour of the fruit-body--see pp. 216 and 220. P. badia is darker, although similar in other ways; it is found on pathsides in woods and has roughened spores.

~Morchella esculenta~ St Amans

Common morel

Cap: width 30-40 mm; length 35-60 mm. Stem: width 15-25 mm; length 50-80 mm.

Description:

Fruit-body: consisting of a head with a honeycomb-like arrangement of narrow ridges surrounding angular and often slightly elongated, shallow pits, on a cylindric or swollen stem.

Cap: brownish grey then reddish brown or ochraceous brown.

Stem: cylindrical or slightly enlarged at the base, brittle, hollow, minutely scurfy and/or furrowed.

Flesh: ochraceous.

Spore-print: cream.

Spores: very long, broadly ellipsoid, pale honey, smooth but for some small granules at each end, and 16-23 × 11-14 µm in size; eight contained in an elongate cylindrical ascus.

Habitat & Distribution: Infrequent in gardens, on river-banks, sites of bonfires, etc., in spring.

Illustrations: F7^{c}; LH 41; NB 41³.

~Gyromirta esculenta~ (Persoon) Fries

Turban-fungus

Cap: width 30-40 mm; length 35-45 mm. Stem: width 15-25 mm; length 50-80 mm.

Description: Plate 68.

Fruit-body: consisting of a subglobose, more or less lobed, wrinkled and convoluted head on a short stem.

Cap: yellow-brown to reddish brown and becoming hollow or chambered.

Stem: flesh-coloured or creamy grey and powdery.

Flesh: yellow-buff, darker in the cap.

Spores: very long, ellipsoid, usually containing two or more yellowish oil drops and 18-22 × 9-12 µm in size; eight contained in an elongate cylindrical ascus.

Habitat & Distribution: This fungus is found in the spring, under conifers, but also on railway embankments, river banks, etc. This fungus is also known as the ‘Lorel’ or ‘Elephant’s ears’.

General Information: Mitromorpha semilibera (Fries) Léville differs from species of Morchella in that the head is for its greater length free from the stalk. It is frequently found in the spring in gardens, tennis courts, etc.