Fig. 3. Sectional view of Morchella bispora Sorokin. "Two-Spored Morel."
Edible.
Cap free from the stem to the top, somewhat resembling that of M. semilibera, but blunt at its summit instead of conical, the outward surface deeply pitted, inner surface smooth and barren. A characteristic of this species which distinguishes it from others of the same genus is found in the number of its sporidia, spores as seen in the ascus or spore sack. In the plants of the genus Morchella the spore sacks, with one or two exceptions, contain eight spores.
In the species M. bispora the spore sacks contain but two spores and these are much larger than the sporidia of those which contain eight. This characteristic, however, can only be determined by the aid of the microscope.
Cooke figures a specimen taken from those published by Sorokin in Thumen's Exsiccata, and calls it a variety of Morchella Bohemica Kromb. He says that it is not unusual to find M. Bohemica with two or four sporidia in some of the asci, mixed with others containing more, some specimens being entirely tetrasporous, and some, as the variety bispora, usually containing but two sporidia. Cooke contends that M. bispora is simply a bisporous form of Morchella Bohemica, and calls it M. Bohemica var. bispora. It is not as common as other species.
Fig. 9 represents asci of M. bispora showing the two spores in each ascus.
Fig. 4. Morchella conica. "Conical Morel."
Edible.
Cap conical or oblong-conical, margin adhering to the stem, the prominent ridges longitudinal and irregularly bisected with shorter ones; the whole plant hollow throughout; color pale tan or ochraceous yellow, growing dingy and darker with age; stem white; spores elliptical.