False morels tend to be more red, purple, and brown, while true morels are more yellow, tan, and gray. False morels are usually stockier and lack the same definition of true morel caps. To put it simply, a false morel looks a true morel that was stepped on and left out in the sun and rain.
The 2 major defining characteristics to tell the different between a real morel and a false morel is: It is completely hollow on the inside . It has a pitted, sponge like cap. Now let’s take a look at the true morel and then we will look at the 4 false morel mushroom look alikes that can be confused with the real morel.
Make note of the cap shape. The false caps that are “wavy” or “lobed”. They appear to be bulging outwards. True morels have a more uniformly shaped cap with pits or ridges. They appear to be pitted inwards rather than bulging. The cap of the false mushroom hangs freely from the stem.
What do morels look like?
Morels vary greatly in size and appearance. Their shape can range from oblong to bulbous, and their color from blonde to gray. They are easy to distinguish by their exterior, which resembles a honeycomb. The inside of a morel is white and hollow. Like many types of mushrooms, morels have doppelgängers – but they can be deadly.
The morel spore print is usually light colored, cream to light yellow. To make a spore print, simply set the mushroom down on dark colored paper and place a bowl or vase over it to avoid air current disruption. Leave overnight and the next morning you should see a collection of light-colored spores around the mushroom.
What does a Morel cap look like?
Morels have a very distinct cap. Fairly uniform, they appear ridged and pitted inwards. See the picture to the right for a close up of a morel cap. On most morels the cap will be attached to the stem, not hanging free as with Amanitas and many other mushrooms.
You should be thinking “Do all morels have a cap?”
On most morels the cap will be attached to the stem, not hanging free as with Amanitas and many other mushrooms. There are species known as “half-free morels”, where only the bottom of the cap hangs freely from the stem.
What does a morel mushroom look like?
The inside of a morel is white and hollow. Like many types of mushrooms, morels have doppelgängers — but they can be deadly. Beware of false morels, which includes a number of species that look similar but are actually poisonous.
Although not usually difficult to identify, true morels do have poisonous look-alikes. The term “false morel” describes a few species of mushrooms that contain a toxin known as monomethyl hydrazine (MMH).