gin and the stem. Of the former group, four species occur in 
New York; of the latter, only two, and these are of very rare- 
oceurrence.. Their scarcity and their small size make them of’ 
comparatively little importance as an article of food. 
No morel is known to be poisonous; they can therefore be 
eaten with considerable confidence, even if the specific distinc- 
tions are not well understood. Two or three species of stinkhorn 
fungi, Phallus impudicus, Phallus duplicatus, &c., have heads 
with similar cavities after the spores have been shed, but in these 
the stems are porous—that is, full of minute pores or cavities— 
and the head has an apical aperture;. and, moreover, the plants 
have such an intolerable odor that no one would think of eating 
them. The species of the first group are more common, and the 
plants themselves are generally of larger size, and it is to this 
group we must look for our chief supply of morels. To it belong 
the Common or Esculent morel (Morchella esculenta), the Coni- 
cal morel (M. conica), the Narrow-cap morel (M. angusticeps), 
and the Delicious morel (J. deliciosa). If any one of these mo- 
rels is cut through the middle vertically, it will be seen that the 
head is hollow as well as the stem, and that the cavity is con- 
tinuous from one to the other. 
All the species occur early in the season. Some may be found 
as early as April, especially i in the States south of New Jersey 
and Pennsylvania. In New York, they are found in May and 
June. I have never seen one growing here later than June. 
They occur mostly under trees or in thin, open woods, or along 
the borders of more dense woods. A favorite habitat is under or 
near pine trees and ash trees, though it is not impossible to find 
them under other trees. They are not averse to sandy soil, pro- 
vided rains are frequent and moisture plentiful. 
For the benefit of those who may wish to distinguish the spe- 
cies, the following synopsis is given: 
SPECIES OF MORCHELLA. 
Margin of the cap united to the stem, 1. 
Margin of the cap not united to the stem, 3. 
1. Cap rounded, oval, or nearly so, M. esculenta 
1. Cap conical or oblong-conical, 2. 
1. Cap oblong or cylindrical, M. deliciosa 
2. Cap distinctly broader than stem, M. conica 
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