Day 195: Make no assumptions. Just because its cap has ridges and pits and it fruits in the spring, it may not be a Morel. In fact, this look-alike Verpa will probably give you gastric distress in a variety of flavours if you eat it, and although some people can tolerate the alkaloids, it's not an experiment I'd care to make. Mushroom poisoning is no fun! Nevertheless, Verpas and Morels are fairly easy to distinguish from one another by careful observation of a few features. The pattern of Verpa's pits and ridges is less regular than that of a true Morel and its cap is only attached at the very top of the stipe (like a lampshade). The true Morel's cap is attached to the stipe at the bottom. The flesh of Verpa tends to be rather brittle as well, and may shatter into small pieces if squeezed. Remember, when messin' with mushrooms, sometimes you don't get a second chance to identify a species correctly.
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