Morel cap (Verpa bohemica)
- Department: Ascomycota (Ascomycetes)
- Subdivision: Pezizomycotina (Pezizomycotins)
- Class: Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)
- Subclass: Pezizomycetidae (Pezizomycetes)
- Order: Pezizales (Pezizales)
- Family: Morchellaceae (Morels)
- Genus: Verpa (Verpa or Hat)
- Type: Verpa bohemica (Morel cap)
- Morel tender
- Verpa Czech
- Morchella bohemica
- Cap
Morel cap (lat. Bohemian wasp) is a fungus of the cap genus of the morel family. The mushroom got its name due to some resemblance to real morels and a hat that sits freely (like a hat) on a leg.
Hat: small cap-shaped. A vertically folded, wrinkled hat is almost loosely worn on the leg. The hat is 2-5 cm high, -2-4 cm thick. The color of the hat changes as the mushroom matures: from brownish chocolate in youth to ocher yellowish in adulthood.
Leg: smooth, as a rule, curved leg 6-10 cm long, 1,5-2,5 cm thick. The leg is very often flattened on the sides. In youth, the leg is solid, but very soon an expanding cavity forms. The hat connects to the stem only at the very base, the contact is very weak. Leg color is white or cream. The surface is covered with small grains or scales.
Pulp: light, thin, very brittle, it has a pleasant smell, but with a slightly pronounced taste. Spore powder: yellowish.
Disputes: smooth elongated in the shape of an ellipse.
Spread: It is considered the narrowest type of morel mushrooms. It bears fruit from early to mid-May in a clearly directed layer. Most often found among young lindens and aspens, prefers flooded poor soils. If the growing conditions are favorable, then the fungus very often bears fruit in fairly large groups.
Similarity: Morel cap mushroom is quite unique, it is difficult to confuse it due to the almost free hat and unsteady stem. It has no resemblance to inedible and poisonous mushrooms, but sometimes everyone confuses it with lines.
Edibility: The mushroom Verpa bohemica is classified as a conditionally edible mushroom. You can eat a morel cap only after pre-boiling for ten minutes. This is necessary because inexperienced mushroom pickers quite often confuse morels with lines, so it’s better to play it safe. Further, mushrooms can be cooked in any way: fry, boil, and so on. You can also dry the morel cap, but in this case it should dry for at least one month.
Video about the mushroom Morel Cap:
Photo: Andrey, Sergey.