Tagged: verpa

The genus Verpa contains just a handful of species that are encountered occasionally.  These mushrooms look a lot like morels (FFF#033), but are attached just at the top of the cap and have a stipe filled with cottony material.  The cap of a verpa hangs down around the stipe, rather like a thimble on top of a finger.  This arrangement has led to the common names “Thimble Cap” or “Thimble Fungus,” although I usually just call them “verpas.”  Verpas tend to appear just before morels, so if you find one you should come back to check for morels after a week or two.