Black Morel Culture Plate

Black Morel, or Morchella elata, is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. It is one of many related species commonly known as black morels, and until 2012 the name Morchella elata was broadly applied to black morels throughout the globe. Like most members of the genus, Morchella elata is a popular edible fungus and is sought by many mushroom hunters. The fruit bodies of Morchella species, including Morchella elata, are highly polymorphic in appearance, exhibiting variations in shape, color and size; this has contributed to uncertainties regarding taxonomy. Discriminating between the various species is complicated by uncertainty regarding which species are truly biologically distinct. Mushroom hunters refer to them by their color as the species are very similar in appearance and vary considerably within species and age of individual.