Early false morel or Common morel

Cap 2-5 cm tall, 2-4 cm across, bell-shaped or thimble-like, hangs from the top of the stem like a hood (it does not fuse with the stem — the fundamental difference from true morels). The surface is wrinkled and pitted, with irregular furrows and folds, without clear honeycomb cells. Color yellow-brown, ochre-brown, dark brown. The inner surface (facing the stem) is paler, cream.

The fruiting body consists of a cap and a stem. Cap 4–12 cm tall and 3–8 cm wide, egg-shaped or irregularly egg-shaped. The surface is covered with irregular pits and ridges that form a honeycomb-like, spongy structure — a hallmark of the genus. Color ranges from pale yellow to brownish ochre.

The hymenophore covers the outer surface of the cap (as in all Pezizales). It consists of layers of asci in which the spores mature. Spore print yellowish to light brown.

The hymenophore sits in the pits of the cap: the spore-bearing layer (hymenium) lines the walls of the pits. This is an atypical ascomycete hymenophore, not tubes or gills. The entire surface of the cap is spore-bearing.

Stem 5-12 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical, hollow inside or filled with spongy flesh. White to cream, light ochre with age. Surface finely granular, with crosswise furrows. No ring.

Stem 4–10 cm tall, 2–5 cm thick, hollow, broad, almost cylindrical or slightly narrowing toward the base. The surface is irregularly ribbed or wavy, white or creamy white. Inside it is hollow, continuous with the cap.

Flesh thin, waxy, brittle. Light ochre in the cap, whitish in the stem. Does not change color when cut.

Flesh delicate, waxy, brittle, hollow inside. Whitish or cream in color. The taste is pleasant and delicate after boiling. Raw, it may contain toxins.

Faint, pleasant mushroomy smell. Mild taste. Note: taste is no indicator of safety — the toxins have no distinct taste.

Smell pleasant, earthy, gently mushroomy, with a light floral note. One of the most soulful spring mushroom aromas. When boiled, the aroma passes into the broth, which is why morel broth is valued in its own right.