Morchella esculenta (Guchhi)

Morchella esculenta-Guchhi (click to enlarge)

Local name	Guchhi, common morel, morel, yellow morel, morel mushroom, and sponge morel
Botanical name	Morchella esculenta
Family	Morchellaceae
Description and uses	Morchella esculenta, like all morels, are among the most highly prized of all edible mushrooms. It is one of the most readily recognized of all the edible mushrooms and highly sought after. Each fruit body begins as a tightly compressed, greyish sponge with lighter ridges, and expands to form a large yellowish sponge with large pits and ridges raised on a large white stem. The pitted yellow-brown caps measure 2–7 cm broad by 2–10 cm tall, and are fused to the stem at its lower margin, forming a continuous hollow. The fungus fruits are found under hardwoods during a short period in the early spring with the onset of showers. Fruit bodies are sometimes found solitary, but more often in groups, on the ground in a variety of habitats. Laboratory experiments suggest that the polysaccharides present in M. esculenta fruit bodies have several medicinal properties, including anti-tumor effects, immuno regulatory properties, fatigue resistance, and antiviral effects. Extracts from the fruit bodies have antioxidant properties