Verpa

Verpa
	V. conica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Pezizomycetes
Order:	Pezizales
Family:	Morchellaceae
Genus:	Verpa; Sw. (1815)
Type species
	Verpa conica; (O.F.Müll.) Sw. (1815)
Synonyms
	Monka Adans. (1763); Relhanum Gray (1821)

Verpa is a genus of ascomycete fungi related to the morels. Resembling the latter genus in edibility and form, the common name early morels is popular. There are five species in the widespread genus.^[2]

Taxonomy

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.^[3]

Species

Species include:

Verpa bohemica - early morel.

Edible if well cooked. Found in North America, in early spring, April–May in damp places, under poplar^[4]

Verpa conica - bell or conic morel.

Edible if well cooked. Found in North America, in orchards, in eastern Canada.

Verpa digitaliformis
Verpa krombholzii
Verpa speciosa

Etymology

Verpa comes from the Latin word for erection

References

^ "Verpa Sw. 1814". MycoBank. International Mycological Association. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
^ Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA (2008). Dictionary of the Fungi (10th ed.). Wallingford, UK: CABI. p. 723. ISBN 978-0-85199-826-8.
^ O'Donnell K, Cigelnik E, Weber NS, Trappe JM (1997). "Phylogenetic relationships among ascomycetous truffles and the true and false morels inferred from 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis". Mycologia. 89 (1): 48–65. doi:10.2307/3761172. JSTOR 3761172.
^ Barnard, Edward S., ed. (1998). "Mushrooms". Reader's Digest North American Wildlife: Trees and Nonflowering Plants. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 268. ISBN 0-7621-0037-0.

External links

Media related to Verpa at Wikimedia Commons
California Fungi: Verpa conica
Roger's Mushrooms: Verpa bohemica

This Pezizomycetes-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[urlMycoBank:_Verpa-1] "Verpa Sw. 1814". MycoBank. International Mycological Association. Retrieved 2011-07-24.

[Kirk2008-2] Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA (2008). Dictionary of the Fungi (10th ed.). Wallingford, UK: CABI. p. 723. ISBN 978-0-85199-826-8.

[ODonnell1997-3] O'Donnell K, Cigelnik E, Weber NS, Trappe JM (1997). "Phylogenetic relationships among ascomycetous truffles and the true and false morels inferred from 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis". Mycologia. 89 (1): 48–65. doi:10.2307/3761172. JSTOR 3761172.

[4] Barnard, Edward S., ed. (1998). "Mushrooms". Reader's Digest North American Wildlife: Trees and Nonflowering Plants. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 268. ISBN 0-7621-0037-0.

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