We knew the store-room was damp, but...

... I didn't expect to find mushrooms growing in there!

Here's a wider shot, to give you a better view of the floor it was growing in.

It's more cave than room down there, if I'm honest.

Now, what's the appropriate reaction to finding a large mushroom growing in the middle of the floor? Get rid of it as quickly as possible? Or try to find out whether it's good to eat?

I took a couple of pictures of the other side of it, showing where the cap joins the stem.

Mushroom, with the light behind it. Moody, but not very clear.

Consulting various books and websites, I think it looks a lot like a morel. If that's what it is, it's considered a great delicacy. On the other hand, there's such a thing as a false morel which is poisonous, potentially deadly.

The reason for getting a look from this side is to see where the cap joins the stem - if it's connected there, as it seems to be, that's a sign it's the real thing. Other clues to look for include what trees are growing nearby. Now it's one thing to have mushrooms growing downstairs, but trees would be another story altogether!

This one's obviously getting on a bit - that white stuff on the top will be spores, I'm pretty sure, so the 'fruit' is pretty much finished by now. On the other hand, if those spores find themselves somewhere nice to grow...

Apparently it's really difficult to grow morels, especially indoors. It would be pretty cool to have a crop growing downstairs ;-)