Biology:Verpa

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Short description: Genus of fungi

Verpa
Verpa.jpg
V. conica
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Pezizomycetes
Order: Pezizales
Family: Morchellaceae
Genus: Verpa
Sw. (1815)
Type species
Verpa conica
(O.F.Müll.) Sw. (1815)
Synonyms[1]

Monka Adans. (1763)
Relhanum Gray (1821)

Verpa is a genus of ascomycete fungi related to the morels. Resembling the latter genus in edibility and form, the common name early morels is popular. There are five species in the widespread genus.[2]

Taxonomy

Analysis of the ribosomal DNA of many of the Pezizales showed the genus Verpa to be closely related to the genus Morchella, and also Disciotis. Thus the three genera are now included in the family Morchellaceae.[3]

Species

Species include:

Edible if cooked. Found in North America, in early spring, April–May in damp places, under poplar[4]
Edible if cooked. Found in North America, in orchards, in eastern Canada.
  • Verpa digitaliformis
  • Verpa krombholzii
  • Verpa speciosa

Etymology

Verpa comes from the Latin for erection or little rod (also a vulgarity for phallus).

References

  1. "Verpa Sw. 1814". MycoBank. International Mycological Association. http://www.mycobank.org/MycoTaxo.aspx?Link=T&Rec=5723. 
  2. Dictionary of the Fungi (10th ed.). Wallingford, UK: CABI. 2008. p. 723. ISBN 978-0-85199-826-8. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryfungit00kirk. 
  3. "Phylogenetic relationships among ascomycetous truffles and the true and false morels inferred from 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis". Mycologia 89 (1): 48–65. 1997. doi:10.2307/3761172. 
  4. Barnard, Edward S., ed (1998). "Mushrooms". Reader's Digest North American Wildlife: Trees and Nonflowering Plants. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.. p. 268. ISBN 0-7621-0037-0. https://archive.org/details/readersdigestnor0000read/page/268. 

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q2003393 entry