Verpa
Encyclopedia
Verpa is a genus of ascomycete
fungi related to the morel
s. Resembling the latter genus, they are called false or early morels. There are five species in the widespread genus.
Verpa comes from the Latin
for erection or little rod.
Analysis of the ribosomal DNA
of many of the Pezizales
showed the genus Verpa to be closely related to the genus Morchella, and also Disciotis
. Thus the three genera are now included in the family Morchellaceae
.
Ascomycota
The Ascomycota are a Division/Phylum of the kingdom Fungi, and subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the Sac fungi. They are the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species...
fungi related to the morel
Morel
Morchella, the true morels, is a genus of edible mushrooms closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi. These distinctive mushrooms appear honeycomb-like in that the upper portion is composed of a network of ridges with pits between them....
s. Resembling the latter genus, they are called false or early morels. There are five species in the widespread genus.
Verpa comes from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for erection or little rod.
Analysis of the ribosomal DNA
Ribosomal DNA
Ribosomal DNA codes for ribosomal RNA. The ribosome is an intracellular macromolecule that produces proteins or polypeptide chains. The ribosome itself consists of a composite of proteins and RNA. As shown in the figure, rDNA consists of a tandem repeat of a unit segment, an operon, composed of...
of many of the Pezizales
Pezizales
The Pezizales are an order of the subphylum Pezizomycotina within the phylum Ascomycota. The order contains 16 families, 199 genera, and 1683 species. It contains a number of species of economic importance, such as morels, the black and white truffles, and the desert truffles. The Pezizales are...
showed the genus Verpa to be closely related to the genus Morchella, and also Disciotis
Disciotis
Disciotis is a genus of fungi in the family Morchellaceae. Members of this family, characterized by their cup- or bowl-shaped apothecia, have a widespread distribution, especially in northern temperate regions.-Description:...
. Thus the three genera are now included in the family Morchellaceae
Morchellaceae
The Morchellaceae are a family of ascomycete fungi. According to a standard reference work, the family contains 49 species distributed among 4 genera...
.
Species
Species include:- Verpa bohemicaVerpa bohemicaVerpa bohemica is a species of fungus in the Morchellaceae family. Commonly known as the early morel or the wrinkled thimble-cap, it is one of several species known informally as a "false morel"...
- early or false, morel.
- Edible if prepared properly. Found in North America, in early spring, April-May in damp places, under poplar
- Verpa conicaVerpa conicaVerpa 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 , this species is a "false morel" characterized by a cap resembling a thimble that is freely attached to the stem.-Taxonomy:The species was...
- bell or conic morel.
- Edible if properly prepared. Found in North America, in orchards, in eastern Canada.
- Verpa digitaliformis
- Verpa krombholzii
- Verpa speciosa