Landscape Morel
A species of black morel, the landscape morel is found most often in urban settings. First described in 2012 from King County in Washington, it is one of 18 different species of North American morels, of which 12 are black morels in the elata clade. It is especially prone to pop up in garden settings or wood chips, as depicted here. Shown is a mature specimen. An ascomycete and saprophyte it can be found in treeless settings. The caps are conical to occasionally egg-shaped and may attain 15 cm of height and be 9 cm across. At times caps may curl downwards with age. What makes it distinctive is the stepladder appearance of the ridges and grooves. Ridges run the length of the cap with numerous transverse cross-ridges. When the caps emerge they are typically grayish with rounded ridges but soon the ridges begin to blacken and become sharper-edged. The pits may also start grayish but become tan to yellowish tan with time. Some of the original grayish color is seen at the tip of the cap. The cap attaches to the stalk at the bottom with a distinct circumferential groove or "ant channel" of 2-5 mm depth at the attachment. The stalk is hollow, up to 10 cm tall and 4-5 cm across. It is smooth on the outside, and granular inside. Morels have a pleasant though not fruity odor and the raw taste is mild. They may grow scattered or in small groups or even be fused at times. These morels come up in April or May in the PNW. They are a prized edible but must be well-cooked. Undercooked or eaten raw they are dangerously toxic. Marinating them ceviche-style is not a substitute for cooking and has led to fatalities.