The name false morel is given to a number of Ascomycete fungi of the genera Gyromitra, Helvella, and Verpa which bear a resemblance to the highly regarded true morels of the genus Morchella. Like Morchella, false morels are members of the Pezizales, but within that group represent several unrelated taxa scattered through the families Morchellaceae, Discinaceae, and Helvellaceae.
The edibility of "false morels" has been recently brought into question. While many people eat them without apparent harm, some people have developed acute toxicity and recent evidence suggests that there may be long-term health risks as well.[1][2]