| Morchella steppicola | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Pezizomycetes |
| Order: | Pezizales |
| Family: | Morchellaceae |
| Genus: | Morchella |
| Species: | M. steppicola |
| Binomial name | |
| Morchella steppicola Zerova (1941) | |
Morchella steppicola, commonly known as the morel of the steppes or blistered morel, is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae (Ascomycota). Originally described from the steppic meadows of Ukraine in 1941, [1] this ancient relic of the last ice age [ citation needed ] corresponds to Mes-1, the earliest-diverging phylogenetic lineage in section Esculenta. [2]
Other than its unique –for the genus– ecological adaptation, this species boasts some remarkable features, such as the densely "blistered" or "merulioid" ridges of its cap, a chambered stem, and strongly striate spores. [3]
