Hooded False Morels Paragyromitra — saddle-shaped fungi of PNW conifer forests
Paragyromitra infula, the hooded false morel, is a distinctive saddle-shaped ascomycete found on rotting conifer wood and hard-packed ground throughout Pacific Northwest forests. Its cap forms two to four sharp-tipped lobes that drape over a hollow, whitish stipe — a silhouette unlike any true morel or brain-shaped Gyromitra. It fruits primarily in fall, making it one of the few false morel relatives active after the spring season ends.
Until recently this species was classified as Gyromitra infula, but a 2023 molecular and morphological study by Wang & Zhuang established the genus Paragyromitra to reflect its distinct evolutionary lineage. Two species occur in the PNW: P. infula and the closely related P. ambigua, which has a more irregularly lobed cap.
Scout Conifer Habitat on Forayz
Use forest type overlays and satellite basemaps to find conifer stands with downed wood — prime territory for hooded false morels in fall.
Identification
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Cap | Saddle-shaped with 2–4 sharp-tipped lobes, 3–10 cm across. Irregularly folded, smooth to slightly wrinkled. Lobes drape over and partially free from the stipe. |
| Color | Reddish brown to chestnut brown, sometimes with darker tones in age. Underside paler, cream to buff. |
| Stipe | 3–8 cm tall, hollow, whitish to tan, smooth or slightly furrowed. Sometimes laterally compressed rather than round. |
| Flesh | Thin, brittle, whitish. Hollow throughout — stipe is a single empty chamber. |
| Odor | Not distinctive. |
| Spores | Elliptical, smooth, hyaline. Ascospores produced in asci (Ascomycota). |
| Substrate | Rotting conifer wood (stumps, buried roots, downed logs) or hard-packed ground near conifers. |
| Season | Late summer through fall, peaking October–November. Occasional spring records. |
The saddle shape with sharp lobes is the giveaway
While brain-shaped Gyromitra species have convoluted, wrinkled caps, Paragyromitra infula has a distinctly saddle-shaped cap with pointed, angular lobes — typically two main lobes forming a mitre or bishop’s hat shape. The lobes have sharp tips rather than rounded folds. Combined with the fall fruiting season, this silhouette separates it from every other false morel in the PNW.
Species in the PNW: P. infula vs. P. ambigua
Two Paragyromitra species are found in Oregon and Washington. They share habitat and season but differ in cap shape and complexity.
| Feature | P. infula | P. ambigua |
|---|---|---|
| Common name | Hooded false morel | Fluted false morel |
| Cap shape | Saddle-shaped with 2–4 sharp, well-defined lobes | More irregular and complexly lobed, often with additional folds and undulations |
| Cap size | 3–10 cm across | Similar range, often slightly larger |
| Color | Reddish brown to chestnut brown | Yellow-brown to dark brown, sometimes paler |
| Stipe | Whitish to tan, relatively smooth | Similar, sometimes more furrowed |
| Habitat | Rotting conifer wood, hard-packed ground near conifers | Similar — rotting wood and disturbed ground in conifer forests |
| Frequency | More commonly reported in the PNW | Less frequently documented, possibly overlooked |
Paragyromitra ambigua can be distinguished from P. infula by its more complex, irregularly folded cap. Where P. infula produces a clean saddle shape with defined angular lobes, P. ambigua tends toward additional folds and undulations that blur the saddle outline. In practice, many collections fall on a spectrum between the two, and molecular confirmation may be needed for ambiguous specimens.
Photo: iNaturalist (CC-BY)
Habitat & Where to Look
Both Paragyromitra species are saprobic, feeding on decaying wood rather than forming mycorrhizal partnerships with living trees. They favor conifer-dominated forests throughout the PNW — Douglas-fir, western hemlock, spruce, and true fir stands all produce records.
Key substrates: Rotting stumps, buried roots, downed logs, and sometimes hard-packed ground along trail edges or road cuts near conifers. The fungus often appears to grow from bare soil, but is typically connected to buried wood below the surface.
Elevation: Found from lowland forests to mid-elevation mountain stands. Not strongly tied to snowmelt zones like spring-fruiting Gyromitra species.
Disturbed sites: Trail margins, road cuts, old logging roads, and forest clearings seem to produce reliable fruitings — anywhere that exposes rotting wood or compacted soil near conifers.
Season & Timing
Paragyromitra is primarily an autumn fungus in the PNW, with a sharp peak in October and November as fall rains arrive and temperatures drop. This contrasts with the spring-fruiting Gyromitra species that follow snowmelt. A small number of spring records exist, but the overwhelming majority of sightings come from the fall season.
Based on 850 community observations from Oregon and Washington
The October–November peak aligns with the onset of sustained fall rains and cooling soil temperatures across the PNW. November alone accounts for nearly half of all observations. If you want to find fresh hooded false morels, aim for late October through mid-November in lowland and mid-elevation conifer forests.
Track Fall Mushroom Season on Forayz
Use environmental layers to monitor soil moisture and precipitation across the PNW — key indicators for when fall fungi like Paragyromitra will start fruiting.
Edibility & Safety
Treat as toxic — do not eat
Paragyromitra infula has long been listed as poisonous and was historically associated with gyromitrin, the same toxin found in Gyromitra esculenta. Gyromitrin breaks down into monomethylhydrazine (MMH), a potent toxin that can cause liver failure and death.
A 2023 study using updated analytical methods found no detectable gyromitrin in P. infula specimens, raising questions about the historical toxicity attribution. However, multiple case reports of poisoning linked to this species exist in the literature, and the absence of gyromitrin in one study does not rule out other toxic compounds or batch variation.
The prudent approach: Continue to treat Paragyromitra as toxic. The historical poisoning reports are real, the reclassification is recent, and the safety profile is not yet fully understood. This is not an edible species.
Similar Species
The saddle-shaped cap and fall fruiting season make Paragyromitra fairly distinctive, but several other genera share general morphology or habitat:
- Gyromitra species (False Morels): Brain-shaped or convoluted caps rather than saddle-shaped. Most PNW Gyromitra fruit in spring near snowmelt, not fall. Paragyromitra was recently separated from Gyromitra based on molecular evidence — the two are related but evolutionarily distinct.
- Helvella species (Elfin Saddles): Also saddle-shaped, but typically smaller, thinner-fleshed, and often gray, black, or white rather than reddish brown. Stipes are frequently ribbed or fluted. Helvella and Paragyromitra can overlap in habitat and season — cap color and lobe sharpness are the best field marks.
- Verpa and Morchella (Morels & Verpas): Spring-fruiting with pitted or wrinkled caps that are fundamentally different in structure. No saddle shape. Unlikely timing overlap with Paragyromitra.