Early false morelVerpa bohemica

Mandatory steps: (1) clean and rinse thoroughly (there is often sand in the folds of the cap); (2) boil for 15-20 minutes in plenty of water; (3) drain the water — it holds the soluble toxins; (4) rinse the mushrooms again under cold water. Then fry, stew or add to sauces. do not eat it raw, dried without treatment, or after only a short boil.

6-12 hours after the meal — nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, loss of coordination, headache. In severe cases — liver and kidney damage. Call 112 or your local emergency number and collect the mushroom leftovers for identification. Don't drink alcohol — it strengthens the toxic effect. Especially dangerous for children and older people.

NO. The toxins tend to accumulate in the body. The safe rule: do not eat it several days in a row, and avoid alcohol during and after the meal. At most — one portion 1-2 times a week. In some EU countries this mushroom is officially banned because of the risks.

In deciduous forests with aspen, poplar, alder; in floodplains along rivers, in parks and gardens, among fallen leaves. It likes rich, moist, alkaline soils. It often grows next to young aspen or poplar thickets. It doesn't grow in conifer forests or on acidic soils.

Polissia, the Forest-Steppe (especially in the floodplain forests of the Dnipro, Desna and Dniester), the Carpathians and Prykarpattia. In the steppe — in ravine forests and park plantings.

April to May, peaking from mid-April. It coincides with the flowering of aspen and poplar and with willow pollen. One of the very first mushrooms of the season — it appears even before the first true morels. By June-July it no longer fruits.

The key difference: in a true morel (Morchella), the cap is fused to the stem along its entire length — between the cap and the stem there is no gap. In Verpa bohemica the cap hangs freely from the top of the stem like a hood — there is space between the cap and the stem. Cut it in half and you'll see the difference right away. Also, in Verpa the cap is folded and wrinkled, while a true morel has clear honeycomb pits.

It's hard to confuse it with the false morel (Gyromitra esculenta): the false morel has a brain-shaped cap — irregular, convoluted folds with no clear center. Verpa has a neat, bell-shaped cap with furrows. But both mushrooms are poisonous without proper preparation. And both contain gyromitrin — so the preparation rules are the same: long boiling, draining the water, eating in moderation.