Morchella steppicola or Common morel

The fruiting body is compact, with a spherical or egg-shaped to spherical “cap”; the whole fruiting body can reach 15 cm in height, though quite small specimens occur too. The surface is uneven, with a distinct net-like honeycomb pattern of pits and irregular ridges — as in all morels. The color is grayish brown or olive brown, more yellowish in young mushrooms, darker in old ones. The inner cavity is small.

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 spore-bearing layer lines the pits of the honeycomb pattern on the outer surface. No gills, no tubes — a typical ascomycete of the order Pezizales. Spore print yellowish.

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.

The stem is thick and relatively short: 4–9 cm tall and 4–6 cm thick in large specimens, much smaller in small ones. White to cream, with characteristic lengthwise wrinkles and furrows. In mature mushrooms the stem is sometimes hidden in the soil, so only the cap is visible.

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.

The flesh is white, thin, waxy and brittle. Inside the fruiting body there's a hollow, typical of morels. It doesn't 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.

Smell faint, pleasantly mushroomy, with a note of fresh forest litter. Taste mild, not bitter.

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.