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Morels (Morchella Spp.)

Morels (Morchella Spp.)

Natural Product Radiance, Vol. 5(4), 2006, pp. 306-310 Green page: Article

Morels ( spp.) in Kumaun Himalaya Chandra Singh Negi Department of Zoology Government Post Graduate College, Pithoragarh Uttaranchal-262 502, India E-mail: [email protected]. Received 9 December 2004; Accepted 28 March 2006 2 Abstract delectable of . Occurrence of 18 of Morchella are reported Morels, also known as mushrooms, belong to the Morchella . The from 28 countries, wherein altogether 14 present paper deals with the most commonly exploited species of this genus in the Darma valley, species are reported to be edible or used district Pithoragarh, Kumaun Himalaya with an aim to improve upon the knowledge base about as food, and 5 are used medicinally3. They these macrofungi for further exploration. are highly prized for their culinary uses, Keywords: Morels, Morchella spp., Kumaun Himalaya, Edible fungi, Medicinal fungi, Sponge particularly as a gourmet food and are Mushrooms. used in gravies, sauces and . Morels 7 IPC code; Int. cl. — A01G 1/04, A61K 35/84, A23L 1/00 are not only delicious; they are also healthy and nutritious food. They contain Introduction symbiotic relationships () 42 percent on a dry weight basis, with trees, which enable them to grow in are low in and rich in minerals4. Wild edible fungi have been nutrient deficient soils. Needless to say This apart, its metabolites have varied collected and consumed by people for health of the forest wherein these species uses, viz. as adaptogens and thousands of years. The archaeological of wild fungi grow is inadvertently related immunostimulants and are considered to record reveals edible species associated to the health of the forests. Income from be one of the most useful antitumour with people living 13,000 years ago in wild edible fungi is an important source agents for clinical uses. It has been Chile. features prominently in the of revenue for rural communities, estimated that total world production of early and later historical records of wild especially in developing countries like morels is about 150 tonnes dry weight, edible fungi. The Chinese have for India. This apart, where market for the equivalent to 1.5 million tonnes of fresh centuries valued many species, not only same are not available, they form a morels. India and Pakistan are the major for nutrition and taste but also for their significant source of dietary input or producing countries, each producing healing properties. These values and nutrition. traditions are as strong today as they were Morels centuries ago and are confirmed by the (Morchella spp.) huge range of wild fungi collected from are saprophytic fungi forests and fields and marketed widely1. that are found in It is not surprising that today China is the both and leading exporter of cultivated mushrooms. broad-leaved In addition to being an important source temperate forests. All of food, many of the fungal species have species are edible wide use as medicine thus, wild useful and delicious with the fungi contribute towards diet, income and possible exception of human health. In addition many of the which are species play a vital ecological role through considered the most

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- Green page: Article about 50 tonnes of dry morels, all of which Even the number of morel species is a M. elata Fr.), M. deliciosa (Fr.) Jct., is exported5. It is important to take note matter of debate. Though Morchella as M. angusticeps Peck, M. crassipes of the fact that the most common of all a genus is fairly easy to recognize, species (Vent.) Pers. and M. semilibera the morels, Morchella esculenta differentiation within the genus is (DC.)Fr. (Table 1). Fortunately for (Linn.) Pers. is said to be poisonous if markedly difficult, and a variable number amateur mycologists, morel species can eaten raw6. of species are recognized by various at least be grouped by colour, either workers. The genus Morchella was yellow or black. Morchella has a wide Characteristic features of reviewed in India by Waraitchi in the year distribution in India and is very common Morels 1976, who presented a key for all the in the temperate zones or forests in species known from India. According to Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu & Despite an extensive body of him, six species under the genus have Kashmir and Uttaranchal. literature and intense interest, the been identified, which include M. In general, the mushrooms of morels, is poorly known. esculenta, M. conica (Pers.) Fr. (syn. produced by the morel fungi has a

Table 1 : Characteristic features of common edible species of genus Morchella17

Species Habitat Characteristic features

Morchella On the ground in or Pileus with conspicuous ridges and in age obtusely conic with a flaring margin, pits semilibera beech woods and usually elongated, dull yellowish brown, the ribs of the pits discolouring darker than ( DC.) Fr. fruiting about a week before the depressions; stipe 8-10 cm long, 1-2 cm thick at apex, in age clavate and up to the larger morels appear. 4 cm thick at the base, pallid to yellowish, at times with pinkish discolouration in age, ribbed near the apex, granular furfuraceous. Morchella On sandy soils in woods. Pileus 1-5 cm high, narrowly conic, pallid to greyish young but the borders of the pits angusticeps Peck Widely distributed and often darkening finally to black. Heads with greatly elongated pits; stipe equal, nearly as thick (Black morel) associated with spp. as the head, pallid to buff in large forms, the pits blackish like the ribs by maturity. Morchella On the ground in grassy places, Pits or depressions of the pileus grey to fuscous, ridges pallid; fruit bodies typically deliciosa (Fr.) Jct. usually at the edge of woods, small. Pileus 2-3 cm long, pit elongated, ridges much lighter than the pits, irregularly (Delicious morel) widely distributed but rare. anastomosing; stipe up to 2/3 times as thick as the pileus, often enlarged at the base and somewhat lacunose, whitish or yellowish. Morchella On the ground in open places, Pits large and shallow, ridges thin; stipe enlarged and at times lacunose at the base. crassipes ( Vent.) at the edge of woods. Pileus sub-conic, usually elongated and 6-12 cm long and 5-6 cm broad or at times Pers. larger; pits roundish or irregularly elongated; ribs irregularly anastomosing, edges sharp; stipe stout, up to 10-11 cm long, 4 cm at apex and 5-7 cm at base, yellowish or whitish. Morchella Usually in or near lightly Pileus not distinctly longitudinally ridged, up to 7-9 cm long and 4-5 cm wide, pits esculenta( Linn.) burned grassy areas and rounded, irregular or at times longitudinally elongated, yellowish, becoming light Pers. swampy ground. brownish when dry, ridges irregularly anastomosing, edges rounded, lighter than the pits; (Common morel) stipe only slightly enlarged at the base. On soil, in open forest, Pileus can be up to 4-10 cm but may occasionally be larger; cone to spindle-shaped (Pers.) Fr. syn. often a year or two after with pronounced vertical ridges with cross-connections, producing a series of rectangular M. elata Fr. a forest fire. hollows up to 1cm long; coloured with ridges darkening to brown with age; (White morel) stipe 2-4 cm, hollow, circular, often enlarged at base or top, white to yellow with a rough surface.

Vol 5(4) July-August 2006 307 Green page: Article characteristic appearance, although the in the same places at about the same time. can easily be avoided with a little mushrooms of several closely related fungi In false morels the fruit bodies are study10. have somewhat similar appearances. They wrinkled rather than honeycombed. look like a -cone perched on a stem. Ptychoverpa bohemica (Krombh.) Medicinal uses The fertile cap (pine-cone portion) is Boud. has irregular wrinkles running honeycombed with pits and ridges. The more or less vertically down the brown Medicinal mushrooms have been cap and stem are hollow and the cap rises head and has a pale tan stalk. This species used as a dietary supplement or medicinal continuously from the stem. The stem has caused gastro-intestinal problems for food throughout the world for over 2,000 colour ranges from white to pale brown, a number of people who have consumed years. In the late 1980s, their extractable and the colour of the cap ranges from pale it and so it should be avoided. The real ingredients received great attention as yellow-brown through tan, brown and killer, however, and the best known of the products for improving biological grey-brown. The pits are typically the same false morels is esculenta function. There is intense industrial colour as the ridges or slightly darker7. (Pers.) Fr. The head of this species has a interest currently in a novel class of The optimum growth is obtained in the brain-like appearance. Over the years compounds extractable either from the temperate coniferous forests preferably in hundreds of people have died after eating loamy soils rich in humus. After the onset it. False morels contain a called mycelium or fruiting body of mushrooms. of rainy season, the hyphal mass, till now which is converted to a Compounds extracted from these and buried in the humus layer (the duff), chemical called mono methyl others called “ nutriceuticals” grows out into the open forming the or MMH, which is toxic. MMH is water exhibit either medicinal and/or tonic fruiting body — the (or the soluble with a low boiling point and qualities and have immense potential as apothecium), which varies from 2-15cm volatilizes off below 90oC. If morels are dietary supplements for use in the in height. This apothecium of Morchella parboiled the toxin will be discarded with prevention and treatment of various spp. has a stalk or stipe (the colour of the water or evaporate during cooking. human diseases. The application of the stalk varies among different species; Early symptoms of toxicity are stomach modern analytical techniques has revealed it is cream coloured in case of M. cramps, accompanied by vomiting, watery many medicinal mushrooms to contain esculenta); the fertile portion is called and/or bloody diarrhoea, weakness, numerous bioactive compounds “pileus”. The pileus is essentially discoid, lassitude and severe headache. This is including polysaccharides [Lentinan from but it is folded over the stipe apex and is followed by loss of balance, (as Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler], highly contorted. These distortions greatly the liver deteriorates), and then in some immunomodulatory proteins increase the surface area of the pileus. cases, convulsions, with the victims [lZ-8 from Ganoderma lucidum The asci (the reproductive structures) eventually becoming comatose, end result (Curtis) P. Karst; Fip-fve from line the large pits, which are separated by being death. Finally, there is evidence that Flammulina velutipes (Curt. ex Fr.) sterile ridges. The detailed distinctive mono methyl hydrazine increases Karst., Flip-vvo from Volvariella features of each Morchella spp. are being the incidence of tumours in volvacea (Bill.ex Fr.)Sing.] and presented in Table 1. Interestingly, there experimental animals. Thus, more protein-bound polysaccharide [PSK is a belief, among the locals that the insidious long-term effects of false and PSP from Coriolus versicolor sprouting of the morels, locally termed morels cannot be too quickly (Fr.) Quel; PSPC from Tricholoma as Gucchi, has strong correlation with discounted. Hence, inexperienced spp.]. Many of these compounds the thunder and lightening7-9 . collectors should familiarize themselves have anti-cancer and anti-tumour with species in related genera: , properties that appear to be based False Morels , and Gyromitra, some with on an enhancement of the host immune The false morels are a group of common names like , spring system rather than direct cytocidal fungi related to the true morels which fruit morel and early morel. These pretenders effect11.

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It has been noted that the extra- in a season provides 20-30 per cent of the Eric Boa, FAO NWFP Series No. 17, Rome, cellular secretions of the mushrooms annual cash income in 140 villages, and pp.147. an annual income of US$ 150 from yet combat bacteria and viruses and are active 4. FAO 1993, International trade in non-wood against myriads of protozoans causing another survey of 1600 families in forest products: An overview, by M Iqbal, FAO: diseases including Plasmodium 40 villages14. It is believed that India, Misc/93/11, NWFP Series, Rome, pp.100. falciparum, which causes malaria. It Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and would be interesting to evolve novel possibly Iran collect around 5. FAO 2002, Non-wood forest products from 2000 tonnes fresh weight of morels in a temperate broad-leaved trees, by W M Ciesla, medicines using these mushrooms, when FAO NWFP Series No. 15, Rome, pp.125. increasing number of antibiotics have year3. The benefits to rural livelihoods lost their usage because the bacterias are significant and widespread and large 6. Lincoff G and Mitchel DH, Toxic and have developed resistance against them. numbers of rural folks thus earn hallucinogenic . A In this regards the morels hold significant amounts of money. India handbook for physicians and mushroom annually exports around 50-60 tonnes of hunters, New York, USA, Van Nostrand greater promise in providing protective Reinhold Company, 1977, pp. 267. shield against a variety of infectious dry morels15. diseases12. 7. Molina R, O’Dell T, Luoma D, Amaranthus M, Conclusion Castellano M and Russell K, Biology, ecology, Morels collection and social aspects of wild edible mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest: A preface to managing The morels are strictly commercial harvest. USDA Forest Service, Recently author has visited twelve banned from exploitation, in the pretext Pacific Northwest Research Station PNW-GTR- villages of the Darma valley in that its regeneration would be affected in 309, 1993, pp. 42. Pithoragarh district of Uttaranchal for the case of harvesting from the wild. Because removing unopened fruiting 8. Arora D, Mushrooms demystified. Berkeley, conducting studies, among the villagers. California, Ten Speed Press, 1986, pp. 958. It was estimated that on an average a bodies prevents dispersal of spores16. family gathers about 2-3 kg of fresh morels Most species of edible fungi are picked 9. Phillips R, Mushrooms of . (M. esculenta), which more often is without causing any damage since Little, Brown and Company, 1991, consumed by the family itself in absence their fruiting bodies and edible parts are pp. 319. all above ground. If the soil is left of the market. In few cases, when 10. Cochran KW, Poisonings due to misidentified middlemen do arrive for procurement of compacted or the leaf litter is mushrooms, McIlvainea, 1987, 8 (1), medicinal plants (chiefly, Picrorhiza disturbed, this does affect production, 27-29. kurroa Royle ex Benth.) from the since the mycelium present in the upper villagers, few do sell it for the layers of soil or the litter mass gets 11. Etkin NL and Johns T, ‘Pharmafoods’ and damaged. ‘Nutriceuticals’: paradigm shifts in amount, which ranges from biotherapeutics. In: Plants for Food and Rs. 2000-2500/kg (dry wt.) when Medicine, HV Prendergast, NL Etkin, DR elsewhere, the price hovers well above References Harris and PJ Houghton (Eds), Royal Botanic Rs. 4500/kg (dry wt.). Since the Gardens, Kew, London, 1998, 3-16. collection of the same is too cumbersome 1. Wang YC, in Ancient China, Mycologist, 1987, 1, 59-61. 12. Baruah P and Singh RS, Edible fungi of and tedious, the villagers of this valley medicinal value from the eastern Himalayan prefer collecting medicinal plants and the 2. Alexopoulos CJ, Introductory Mycology. New region, Int J Med Mushrooms, 2001, 3, collection of morels is of secondary York, John Wiley and Sons Inc., 1962, 124. importance. Hence collection of morels pp. 163. is solely carried out by the deprived 13. Singh SK and Rawat GS, Morel mushroom 3. FAO 2004, Wild edible fungi: A global overview industry in India, Plant Talk, 2000, 21, brethrens of the village. According to 36-37. Singh and Rawat13, the total money earned of their use and importance to people, by

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14. Prasad P, Chauhan K, Kandari LS, Maikhuri RK, Purohit A, Bhatt RP and Rao KS, Morchella esculenta: need for scientific intervention for its cultivation in Central Himalaya, Curr Sci, 2002, 82, 1098-1122.

15. Kaul TN, Conservation of mushroom resources in India, Mushroom Res, 1993, 2, 11-18.

16. Pilz D and Molina R, Commercial harvest of edible mushrooms from the forests of the Pacific Northwest United States: issues, management and monitoring for sustainability, For Ecol Manag, 2002, 155, 3-16.

17. Smith HV and Smith AH, The Non Gilled Fleshy Fungi, W M C, Brown Company Publishers, Dubuque, Iowa, 1970, pp.47-49.

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