Verpa bohemica    (Krombh.) J. Schröt 

common name(s) : Bohemian Verpa 

New classification: Ascomycota/Pezizomycotina/Pezizomycetes/Pezizomycetidae/Pezizales/Morchellaceae  
Former classification: Ascomycota/Hymenoascomycetes/Pezizomycetideae/Pezizales/Pezizineae/Morchellaceae  

synonyms: Ptychoverpa bohemica 

edibility : edible if well cooked

potential confusions with Verpa bohemica toxicity of Verpa bohemica genus Verpa  

The cap is bell shaped, very wrinkled, with sinuous vertical ridges, sometimes branched to make a shallow honeycomb structure, brown-pink to dark brown, with a well differentiated, cream to white, hollow and rather long stem.

The flesh is white, brittle and thin; its taste is mild; the odour is pleasant then rank when mature.

The fertile surface is smooth. The spore print is yellowish.

It grows on the ground, in mixed riparian woods, along hedges, on rich soils, on a rather calcareous soil, with ash, elm, hazelnut trees.

The fruiting period takes place from March to May.
Dimensions: width of cap approximately 4 cm (between 2 and 6 cm)
  total height approximately 12 cm (between 3 and 20 cm)
  width of stem approximately 20 mm (between 10 and 25 mm)

Distinctive features : cap with sinuate, irregular and shallow ribs (not honeycombed, unlike morels); campanulate cap with its lower part not attached to stem

Verpa bohemica is still unreported so far in the forest of Rambouillet, and is quite rare, more generally speaking .



page updated on 14/01/18