Natural Product Radiance, Vol. 5(4), 2006, pp. 306-310 Green page: Article Morels (Morchella 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 mushrooms . Occurrence of 18 species of Morchella are reported Morels, also known as sponge mushrooms, belong to the genus Morchella Dill. 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 soups. 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 (mycorrhizas) 42 percent protein on a dry weight basis, with trees, which enable them to grow in are low in calories 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. China 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 conifer 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 truffles which are species play a vital ecological role through considered the most Morchella esculenta 306 Natural Product Radiance - 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 taxonomy 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 oak 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 Populus 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. Morchella conica 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; honey 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 pine-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 Gyromitra 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 toxin called mycelium or fruiting body of mushrooms. of rainy season, the hyphal mass, till now gyromitrin which is converted to a Compounds extracted from these and buried in the humus layer (the duff), chemical called mono methyl hydrazine others called “mushroom 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 ascocarp (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.