Plant 2-5 inches high, with an agreeable taste, but slight smell. PUeus from
the size of a pigeon’s egg to that of a swan’s egg, hollow, usually ovate,
rounded ; but it is liable to vary in its form even to monstrosity. Colour
from a pale yellowish-brown, to olivaceous, and smoke-grey. Surface
deeply pitted, or formed in irregular areolæ, divided by anastomosing
ribs. Stipes 1-3 inches long, ^ to I inch thick, white, hollow, confluent
with the contracted base of the pileus, and the interior having a free
communication with that of the pileus. Plymemum covering the whole
pileus. Thecoe or sporuliferous cells fixed, containing about 5 globular
sporules, which escape and render the surface o f the pileus sometimes
farinaceous.
'I
It is difficult, nay impossible, to ascertain bow many species
of Morelle were included by tbe old botanists under tbe
name of esculentus; and tbis bas made me hesitate to quote
several authorities which might have been added to the catalogue
of synonyms. S o w e e b y ’s right-hand figure, I suspect,
belongs to our plant, and F r i e s has indeed cited it. P e r s o o n ,
on tbe other hand, is, like myself, not quite convinced of its
identity.
The Morelle is among those fungi which were first used as
regular articles of food, being much praised even before the
time of C l u s i u s . C a m e e a r i u s says they first received the
name of Morchell from the Germans. In other parts of the
Continent, they are called Morille, morchelen, spagniole,
spongignole, spongiola, pungola, spugnino, spugnola huono,
and tripetto.
The ways of dressing them for the. table are various and
well known. They mostly enter into ragouts, but are sometimes
served by themselves. On the Continent, they are frequently
stuffed.
The country people in Germany first made the observation
that Morelles grew most plentifully where fires had been made,
and, in their endeavours to cultivate them by this strange method,
tbe woods frequently fell a sacrifice, until the practice was
interdicted by law.
Fig. 1. Morchella esculenta, nat size. Fig. 2. A section. Fig. 3. Thecx and
sporules, magnijied.