This is a morel, yes? It certainly looks like M. angustcipes found in the books Mushrooms of Colorado (Evenson) but I’m in disbelief a bit because this is the first I have ever found! (Following a first from last year.) Found at the bottom in a pretty tight canyon (such that plenty of snow piles up, which probably just melted in the last week or 2) with Ponderosa pines and Blue spruce. 8400 ft asl, near Tesuque, New Mexico, USA. I saw no signs of fire from the past. There were about 30 of them along what would be the fall line, if there had been water there.
Yes, that is a morel, one of the many species of black morels that have been recently classified. It is virtually impossible to identify the species by just looking at it.
All true morels are edible; but they should never be eaten raw. Some unfortunate people are allergic to them; so they should be tried in small amounts at first.
Yes, I never eat them raw. And when I find a new species, as in this case, I sauté one slice and wait a day or two.
Be careful not to confuse true morels with similar looking Verpa bohemica Verpa bohemica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or Gyromitra esculenta Gyromitra esculenta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thanks for your reply, Sundrop. I am familiar with G. esculenta, it occurs here frequently in late summer. V. bohemica .. I don't believe I have encountered it before. Today I went back to the site a collected a bunch more (43 to be exact, see attached photo, I took only half of those I saw, in the hopes that they'll spread for next year. ). Anyway, my specimens differ from it in that the cap is very dark. Also the caps of G. esculenta and V. bohemica look similarly "brainy" where as mine look like ... well, morels. Also, the Mushrooms of Colorado book notes that V. bohemica has a head "attached only at the top". So I sliced one of my specimens in half and it shows that the cap is attached more than just at the top (see photo). Thanks for keeping me honest.
Well ... I've returned to this site each year after this first discovery. 2017, nothing, 2018, nothing. I wasn't too surprised though because winter and spring precipitation was low these years. This year, however, we had good winter snow and good spring rains. And ... I did find some. Not nearly as many as the first time. The individuals were larger though. I guess I caught them at a more mature stage.
