Morchella semilibera    DC.:Fr. 

common name(s) : Semifree Morel, Miniature Morel 

New classification: Ascomycota/Pezizomycotina/Pezizomycetes/Pezizomycetidae/Pezizales/Morchellaceae  
Former classification: Ascomycota/Hymenoascomycetes/Pezizomycetideae/Pezizales/Pezizineae/Morchellaceae  

synonyms: Mitrophora semilibera, Morchella hybrida, Mitrophora hybrida, Morchella gigas 
(unconfirmed synonyms: Morchella rimosipes)  

edibility : edible if well cooked

photo gallery of Morchella semilibera
photo gallery of Morchella semilibera potential confusions with Morchella semilibera toxicity of Morchella semilibera genus Morchella  

The cap is honeycombed cap, conical, with strong primary ridges, and weaker transversal secundary ridges, the cap's base not adhering to stem, brown-ochre to olive-brown, with vertical prominent ridges, the other (secondary ridges) forming pits in honeycomb or in squares, and few in numbers, with a well differentiated, creamy-white, long and hollow stem, longitudinally wrinkled with age.

The flesh is greyish; its taste is faint, mild; the odour is pleasant then rank when mature.

The fertile surface is smooth. The spore print is ochraceous yellow.

It grows on the ground, in humid woodlands, close to streams, with poplar, hawthorn.

The fruiting period takes place from April to June.
Dimensions: width of cap approximately 3 cm (between 1.5 and 6 cm)
  total height approximately 11 cm (between 3 and 20 cm)
  width of stem approximately 20 mm (between 10 and 40 mm)

Chemical tests : asci tips not blued with Melzer's reagent.

Distinctive features : conical honeycombed cap; long stem; lower part of the cap free from the stem; the stem penetrates the cap up to its middle

Morchella semilibera is rare and confined in the forest of Rambouillet, and is occasional, more generally speaking .
here should be the distribution map of Morchella semilibera in the forest of Rambouillet
Above : distribution map of Morchella semilibera in the forest of Rambouillet



page updated on 14/01/18