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404 GROWTH PARAMETERS
The Morel Life Cycle
Morel spores germinate quickly. The hyphae
race through the environment—UP to four
inches per day. Morel mycelium can colonize a
vast territory in a relatively short time. But
when they encounter a physical boundary, a
non-nutritional zone, or competitors, the
mycelium stops expanding. After experiencing
environmental shock, the mycelium collapses
and forms a subterranean structure called a
scierotium. Understanding sclerotia is the key
to Morel cultivation.
A scierotium is a hardened, asexual mass of
cells which roughly resembles a gold nugget or
walnut in form and size. Scierotia are produced
by many mushroom species, including
Collybia tube rosa, Conocybe cyanopus,
Hypholoma tube rosurn, Polyporus umbellatus, Pleurotus tuber-regium, Poria cocos, Psilocybe
mexicana, Psilocybe tampanensis, and dozens of others. (See Figures 42, 43, & 341 ). The mushrooms
which form scierotia tend to be soil-dwellers. The sclerotia represent a nutrient storage and
resting stage, allowing the mushroom species to survive inclement weather. They can be dried to the
point of flammability, and upon
rehydration, as the cells swell with moisture, the scierotium springs
to life and transforms into either a mushroom or into a new mycelial network. Morel mycelium produces
sclerotia naturally,
without the interference of humans, on many habitats from peat moss to
sand to straw.
The scierotia of the Black Morel are uniquely different than all the other Morel species. The scierotia
of the Yellow Morel, Morchella esculenta
and the so-called Giant Morel, Morchella
crassipes are dense, slippery and heavy when
fresh, dark and & walnut-like. The sclerotia of
the Black Morel, Morchella angusticeps are
abrasive, golden yellow to orange, light in
weight when fresh, and pumice-like. Although
studies on the scierotia formation of Morchella
esculenta and Morchella crassipes have been
published (Ower (1982), Ower & et al. (1986,
1988), and Volk & Leonard (1989, 1990)), no
studies have been published on Morchella
Figure 3.J. Scierotia of the Giant Morel, Morchella
crassipes, forming in jars. Soil is placed onto colonized
grain. The mycelium grows into the soil and,
after several weeks, forms sclerotia. As with most
sclerotia-forniing mushroom species, this phenomenon
is encouraged by darkness during incubation.
angusticeps until now. One other difference:
the sclerotia of the Black Morels form by the Figure 360. The harvested Morel scierotia can grow
to several inches in diameter.
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