Definition:
What are morels? They are one of the most prized edible fungi in the world! If we define morels using biology words, morels are globally distributed, socially and economically important reproductive structures (ascomata) produced by fungi of the genus Morchella.
Taxonomy:
Morchella, Morchellaceae, Pezizales, Pezizomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota.
The Morchella genus contains three clades: 1) the rufobrunnea clade; 2)the esculenta clade: contains 5 species in North America; 3) the elata clade: contains 14 North American representatives.