Morchella tomentosa | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Pezizomycetes |
Order: | Pezizales |
Family: | Morchellaceae |
Genus: | Morchella |
Species: | M. tomentosa
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Binomial name | |
Morchella tomentosa M.Kuo (2008)
[1]
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Synonyms | |
Morchella atrotomentosa McKnight (1987) |
Morchella tomentosa | |
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![]() | Smooth hymenium |
![]() ![]() | Cap is conical or ovate |
![]() | Hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable |
![]() | Stipe is bare |
![]() ![]() | Spore print is cream to yellow |
![]() ![]() | Ecology is mycorrhizal or saprotrophic |
![]() | Edibility is choice |
Morchella tomentosa, commonly called the gray, fuzzy foot, or black foot morel, is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. [2] M. tomentosa is a fire-associated species described from western North America, formally described as new to science in 2008. [1]
Morchella tomentosa is identified by its post-fire occurrence, fine hairs on the surface of young fruit bodies, and a thick, "double-walled" stem. [1] [3] It also has unique sclerotia-like underground parts. [4] Color can range from black and "sooty" to gray, brown, yellow, or white, although color tends to progress from darker to lighter with age of the fruiting body. [2] Three other wildfire-adapted morels were described from western North America in 2012: M. capitata, M. septimelata, and M. sextelata. None of these three new species share the hairy surface texture of M. tomentosa. [5]
Based on studies of DNA, M. tomentosa is clearly a distinct species apart from the yellow morels ( M. esculenta & ssp.) and black morels ( M. elata & ssp.). [4] Mushroom collectors also use the common name "gray morel" for M. esculenta-type morels in eastern North America. [2]