What's Your Nature?

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False Morel

Posted by Jacob Malcomb,
North Country explorer from
May 14, 2014

On the Stone Valley trail this morning I saw what I thought was a morel. However, on closer inspection (and some research when I got home) I concluded this is actually Verpa bohemica, one of several species commonly called "false morel." It can be distinguished from true morels because it has a wrinkled, rather than pitted, fruiting body, and the bottom of the cap is separate from the stem. These guys are actually poisonous, unlike the coveted true morels. Just a reminder to never eat anything unless you're absolutely positive of what it is.