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The conical cap is a little-known mushroom that appears by the end of spring - in April-May. Its other names are: conical verpa, versatile cap, in Latin - verpa conica. It belongs to ascomycetes (marsupial mushrooms, in which oval or round bags, or asci are formed during sexual reproduction), the genus Cap (Verpa), the Morel family. Bags (asci) are cylindrical, 8-spore. Spores are elongated, ellipsoidal, smooth, rounded, colorless, without oily drops. Their size is 20-25 x 12-14 microns.
What does a conical hat look like?
Outwardly, Verpa conica resembles a finger with a thimble on it. The mushroom is small in size: the height of the fragile, thin-fleshy fruiting body (cap with stem) is 3–10 cm. It is sometimes confused with morel.
Description of the hat
The surface of the cap is almost smooth, wrinkled, slightly bumpy or covered with longitudinal shallow wrinkles. There is usually a dent on the top.
The height of the cap is 1–3 cm, the diameter is 2–4 cm. The shape is conical or bell-shaped. In the upper part, it grows to the leg, at the bottom, the edge is free, with a pronounced edging in the form of a roller.
The upper surface of the cap is brown: its color varies from light brown or olive to brown, dark brown or chocolate. The lower part is white or cream, finely pubescent.
The pulp is fragile, tender, waxy, light. When fresh, it has an unexpressed smell of dampness.
Leg description
The leg of the cap is cylindrical or flattened from the sides, slightly tapering towards the cap, often curved. Its height is 4–10 cm, thickness is 0.5–1.2 cm. The color is whitish, cream, light yellow or light ocher. The stem is smooth or covered with a mealy bloom or whitish small scaly scales. At first, it is filled with soft, fibrous pulp, then it becomes almost hollow, brittle in consistency.
Edible conical cap
This is a conditionally edible mushroom. It is considered mediocre in taste, has an inexpressive taste and smell.
How to cook a conical cap
Boiling rules:
- Put the peeled and washed mushrooms in a saucepan and cover with water. There should be 3 times more water by volume than mushrooms.
- Cook for 25 minutes, then drain the broth, rinse the mushrooms under running water.
After boiling, they can be fried, stewed, frozen and dried. They are rarely used for pickling and pickling.
Where and how it grows
The multifarious cap is considered a rare species, in contrast to the morel. In Russia, it grows in forests in a temperate zone
Occurs on the banks of water bodies, in river valleys, on shallows, in damp mixed, coniferous, deciduous and floodplain forests, in forest belts, shrubs. Most often it can be found next to willows, aspens, birches. Grows on the ground in scattered groups or singly.
Doubles and their differences
Verpa conica must be distinguished from its counterparts.
Steppe morel
Grows in the European part of Russia and Central Asia. Most often found in the steppes. Collection time - April – June.
The morel cap grows to the stem, has a spherical or ovoid shape. It is hollow inside and can be divided into several sections. The color is gray-brown. The stem is white, thin, very short. The flesh is whitish in color, elastic.
Steppe morel is an edible mushroom with a higher taste than Verpa conica.
Morel cap (Verpa bohemica)
It grows next to aspen and linden trees, often settles on flooded soils, and can bear fruit in large groups under favorable conditions.
The cap has pronounced folds, does not grow to the leg along the edge, sits freely. The color is yellowish-ocher or brown. The leg is white or yellowish, with grains or finely scaly. Thin light pulp has a pronounced taste and pleasant smell. Differs in 2-spore asks.
Verpa bohemica is classified as conditionally edible. Fruiting time is May.
Who shouldn't eat a conical cap
The conical cap has contraindications.
It cannot be eaten:
- children under the age of 12;
- during pregnancy;
- during lactation;
- with some diseases: cardiovascular, poor blood clotting, low hemoglobin;
- with individual intolerance to the substances contained in mushrooms.
Conclusion
The conical cap is a rare species and is listed in the Red Book in some regions (in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, in the Novosibirsk region). It is not recommended to eat officially.
