Mushrooms Displayed at
OMS Meeting 03/24/14
1) Verpa
2) Agrocybe praecox
3) Clitocybe
4) Ascomycota
5) Gyromitra esculenta
6) Clitocybe albirhiza
7) Helvella vespertina

--- Scroll Down for more Pictures ----


01) This time of year, everyone is looking for Morels, but what they find are Verpas (sometimes called False Morels)

How do you tell a Verpa from a Morel

1) Bottom edge of cap is not attached to the stipe
2) Color of the Stipe
3) Size of cap relative to length of stipe

Click Here for a Good Explanation of the difference between a Verpa and a Morel


Be very very careful if you choose to ignore this advice and eat a Verpa

A large percentage of the general population reacts negatively to Verpa.

Reactions include mild to severe stomach cramping, diarrhea, and temporary loss of motor coordination

Boiling Verpas and discarding the water before final cooking offers little or no safety to sensitive individuals

The sensitivity may build in the body. Someone may eat them twice or more without any reaction and then become violently sick the next time they eat them.

The best advice:
1) Do not eat Verpas
2) Be positive of your identification before eating any mushroom.
3) Start by eating only a small sample of any mushroom that is new to you
4) Error on the side of caution.


Some information about Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes

Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes are the two fungal phyla which produce mushrooms.

Most of the mushrooms we collect are Basidiomycetes because all the gilled mushrooms are Basidiomycetes.

However, Verpa that are shown above and Ascomycota, Helvella vespertina and Gyromitra esculenta shown below are Ascomycetes. In fact there are more species of Ascomycetes than there are species of Basidiomycetes.

One more fact truffles are Ascomycetes.

(adapted from material provided by Joe Cohen, any misinformation is due to my changes )



02) Agrocybe praecox

Note the dark spore print
and the ring on the stipe (see second picture)







03 Clitocybe

Identified by white, off-white, or buff colored spores,
Gills running down the stem, and
Pale white to brown or lilac coloration.



04) Ascomycota
A small sac fungi

A note from Molly Widmer of Springfield --- The small asco looks a lot like something found on Abies twigs (usually dead) called Pithya vulgaris. If it happened to be a fir twig, that might just be what it is. I've found it on A. grandis, so it needn't have come from the mountains.



05 Gyromitra esculenta

This is one of the false Morels
It is not edible

It has a hemolytic toxin that destroys red blood cells. It is also toxic to the central nervous system and damages the liver and gastrointestinal tract. There can be a relatively long latent period 6 to 12 hours) between ingestion and symptoms. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, distention, weakness, headache, jaundice, convulsions, and coma. Death can result.





06) Clitocybe albirhiza

Referred to as a snow bank mushroom

Note the conspicuous white rhizomorphs at the base of the stipe (see second picture)

Click Here for a description of this mushroom





07) Helvella vespertina

common names include: Black Elfin Saddle, Elfin Saddle, Fluted Elfin Saddle, Fluted Black Elfin Saddle, Gruben-Lorchel, Helvelle lacuneuse

Note: Helvella vespertina are Ascomycetes



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