G. esculenta under hawthorn??

[CloudedYellow]

Not a good photo but is it enough to help with id?

It looks a bit odd - as the fb has not developed circumferentially you can see the stipe and something has nibbled the left hand side. ~2.5cm tall.

Never having seen this sp. I thought it looked like Gyromitra esculenta - False Morel. The stipe was not chambered.

The spore size fits with G. esculenta BUT it is under hawthorn not conifers,



Thanks

Richard

[Leif]

You would not be the first to make what I think is a mistaken id. Many years ago I found some 'Gyromitra esculenta' under Hawthorn. In fact the fungus in question was a young Verpa conica. When young all you see is the cap on a short stem. As they mature, so the stem extends, raising the cap several inches from the ground. To make matters worse, Verpa conica can have very wrinkly caps, unlike the smooth ones seen in most books. There is also a related species called Ptychoverpa bohemica though I do not know if it occurs in the UK.

So, I think that what you have is young Verpa conica, and a nice find too. Not common, though not rare in some regions such as Hampshire.

[CloudedYellow]

Thank you Leif, that is a much more sensible id!

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by CloudedYellow

Not a good photo but is it enough to help with id?

It looks a bit odd - as the fb has not developed circumferentially you can see the stipe and something has nibbled the left hand side. ~2.5cm tall.

Never having seen this sp. I thought it looked like Gyromitra esculenta - False Morel. The stipe was not chambered.

The spore size fits with G. esculenta BUT it is under hawthorn not conifers,



Thanks

Richard

Hi Richard,

Yes, I agree with Leif,

It's a young Verpa conica !

Nick