Do Morel Mushrooms Grow From Roots?

Spores

• Morel mushrooms begin as spores. Just one morel cap is capable of producing anywhere between 250,000 and 500,000 microscopic spores. The odds of survival are slim as billions of spores may be released by a field of morels, but only a few manage to become part of the root network.

Mycelium

• The largest part of a morel is never seen. The vegetative portion lies just beneath the surface. This complex root system is called the mycelium and, since mushrooms are incapable of producing their own food through photosynthesis, the mycelium is responsible for drawing in nutrients from the soil. Sclerotia, which are hardened nodules on the mycelium, eventually swell and later form into the spongy, cone-shaped morel mushroom along with its stem-like stipe.

Mychorria

• Mushrooms feed on decaying organic matter such as leaves or dying trees. In some cases, mushrooms develop a symbiotic relationship with certain tree species, feeding from old tissue on tree roots. The tree receives some nutrients from the mushroom in return. The relationship is called mycorrhiza, from the word mycorrhizae, which translates to "fungus-roots." Indiana biologist Stewart Miller was the first to prove a mycorrhizal relationship between morel mushrooms and elm trees.

Morel Mushrooms

• Morels are a fruit produced by the mycelium for the purpose of reproducing. The caps, called pileus, house the spores and release them to be spread by the wind. The stalk or stem or a morel is hollow, as is the pileus, and its sole purpose is to lift the pileus as high as possible above the forest floor for spore release.