Handbook of Nature-Study · Lesson CLXXXIV · Topic 27: Mushrooms, molds and bacteria
184. The morels
Goal: Your child can describe a morel's honeycomb cap and hollow stem, and knows why we never eat a morel or any other wild fungus.
You'll need
- A morel, if you find one (an adult picks it with gloves)
- White paper
- A hand lens (magnifying glass)
- A nature notebook and a pencil (colored pencils if you have them)
What's in the book
A short lesson on morels, found in May or June in orchards and damp fence corners, with four observations: the stem, the cap, the colors and a spore print.
The lesson, step by step
Safety and what we know now
The book says the morel family has no poisonous members, and tells when they may be eaten. That is not safe advice. "False morels" look much like morels and can be deadly, and even true morels make people sick when not cooked properly. In our house, we look, draw and print spores, and never eat.
When and where
May or June, in open, damp places such as old orchards, moist fence corners and woods edges.
Observe
Where did you find the morels?
Describe the stem. Is it solid or hollow? Is it smooth or rough?
Ask: What is the shape of the cap? What color is the outer edge of the network, and what color within the meshes?
Spore color
Take one of these fungi, lay it on a sheet of white paper, and note the color of the spores.
Cover it with a bowl overnight.
Nature notebook
Draw the cap's honeycomb pattern and a lengthwise view of the hollow stem (an adult can cut one in half). Wash hands well.
Answers to the book's problems
The spores are borne in the pits of the honeycomb. A true morel is hollow from cap to stem in one open chamber; this is one way experts tell it from false morels, but it is not a reason to eat one.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.