Although not usually difficult to identify, true morels do have poisonous look-alikes. The term “false morel” describes a few species of mushrooms that contain a toxin known as monomethyl hydrazine (MMH). … There have been deaths from these mushrooms, most in the Verpa and Gyromitra species.

What toxin is in morels?

This spring the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Poison Control Center (PCC) has seen an unusually high number of patients with severe toxicity resulting in hospitalization after eating mushrooms that look like morels. These false morel mushrooms contain the toxin gyromitrin which can cause severe illness.

Can you eat a false morel mushroom?

While false morels are deadly poisonous when raw, in some parts of the world they are considered edible (and delicious) if properly parboiled. False morels contain gyromitrin, a volatile water-soluble hydrazine compound that decomposes in the body into methyl hydrazine.