Verpa conica
| Verpa conica | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Ascomycetes |
| Order: | Pezizales |
| Family: | Morchellaceae |
| Genus: | Verpa |
| Species: | V. conica |
| Binomial name | |
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Verpa conica (O.F.Müll.) Sw. (1815) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Phallus conicus O.F.Müll. (1775) |
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| Verpa conica | |
|---|---|
| Mycological characteristics | |
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glebal hymenium |
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cap is ovate |
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hymenium is free |
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stipe is bare |
 
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edibility: edible or poisonous |
Phallus conicus O.F.Müll. (1775)
Leotia conica (O.F.Müll.) Pers. (1801)
Relhanum conicum (O.F.Müll.) Gray (1821)
Monka conica (O.F.Müll.) Kuntze (1898)
edibility: edible
Verpa conica, commonly known as the bell morel or the thimble fungus, is a species of fungi in the family Morchellaceae. Sometimes mistaken for a true morel (genus Morchella), this species is a "false morel" characterized by a cap resembling a thimble that is freely attached to the stem.
The species was first described under the name Phallus conicus by Otto Friedrich Müller in 1775. Later authors have moved the taxon to various genera: Persoon placed in Leotia in 1801, Samuel Frederick Gray transferred it Relhanum in 1821, while Otto Kuntze moved it to Monka in 1898. The species was transferred to Verpa by Olof Swartz in 1814.
Fruiting bodies have a smooth cap that is bell-shaped or conical, and 1.5 to 4 cm (0.6 to 1.6 in) broad; it is attached to the top of the stem only, the margin of the cap is free – hanging like a skirt. The underside of the cap is tan to dark brown in color. The stem, which measures 5 to 11 cm (2.0 to 4.3 in) by 1 to 1.5 cm (0.4 to 0.6 in) thick, is white and tapers upwards so that the apex is slightly thicker than the base; the stem surface is either smooth or slightly fuzzy. It is generally hollow, although young specimens may be filled with cotton-like hyphae. The flesh is thin and brittle, and the cap can be easily broken off the stem.
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