Verpa bohemica

Verpa bohemica, commonly called the early morel or wrinkled thimble-cap, is a spring-fruiting ascomycete that superficially resembles a true morel but is set apart by a thimble-like cap attached to the stalk only at its apex, with a stem 'stuffed' with cottony mycelium rather than fully hollow. It fruits in spring, often in May, in damp ground near dead or decaying deciduous trees. Despite the morel resemblance, it is not considered good to eat and has been linked to gastrointestinal and neurological poisonings; it is best left in the field, particularly because it can be confused with the deadly Gyromitra esculenta.

History

Verpa bohemica has long been noted alongside the true morels (Morchella spp.) that fruit in the same season, and historical mycological works listed it under synonyms such as Morchella bispora and Morchella semilibera. In parts of Europe it acquired an uneasy reputation: in southern Poland the "early morel" is associated with folklore about the devil, reflecting longstanding awareness that it "can make you sick." Field guides have repeatedly cautioned that, although some foragers collect it, it is not a beginner's mushroom and is easily confused with toxic look-alikes.

Overview

Verpa bohemica is distinguished from true morels by bisecting the fruit body: in a true morel the cap and stalk are firmly united and the interior is completely hollow, whereas in Verpa the cap hangs free, attached only at the apex, and the stalk is filled with cottony tissue. The far more dangerous Gyromitra esculenta has a convoluted, brain-like cap and a chambered (not hollow) interior, and contains gyromitrin, a precursor of the deadly monomethylhydrazine. Because of the documented illnesses associated with V. bohemica and the risk of misidentification, this species is treated here as not recommended for eating.