Начало грибного сезона 2026 года! Первые сморчковые шапочки в лесу. Грибы весной #грибы #лес #весна

Hello everyone! The long-awaited opening of the 2026 mushroom season has arrived. Now you can safely go mushroom picking, but for now, there are more ticks than mushrooms in the forest. The Morel Cap (Verpa bohemica) is a mushroom of the genus Morel of the Morchella family. It gets its name from its resemblance to true morels and its loose, cap-like cap. Russian synonyms: Morel Cap Tender Morel Czech Willow Description The fruiting bodies (apothecia) of the Morel Cap are large, fleshy, up to 10 cm or more in height, and are usually described as cap-stemmed. The mushroom's cap is cap-shaped (bell-shaped, thimble-shaped, or conical), small—1–5 cm in height and 1–4 cm in diameter. Unlike morel caps, the lower edge of the cap is free (the cap is attached to the stem only at the very tip); in young mushrooms, it is pressed against the stem, while in older mushrooms, it is often bent to the side. The cap's color also depends on the mushroom's age and growing location, varying from brown and dark brown (in young mushrooms) to yellowish-ocher and even yellow (in mature mushrooms). The outer surface of the cap is wrinkled, covered with numerous small, sinuous, longitudinal folds, sometimes branching; in older mushrooms, it appears pitted. The underside of the cap is smooth, lighter in color, with numerous whitish veins arranged in circles. The stem is long, cylindrical, smooth, sometimes slightly furrowed, usually curved, often slightly flattened laterally, slightly widening toward the base, 6–11 (up to 15) cm long and 1.5–2 (up to 3) cm thick. In young mushrooms, the stem is solid inside, filled with cottony pulp; in mature mushrooms, it is hollow. The stem color also changes with age: in young mushrooms, it is white-yellowish, while in mature mushrooms, it becomes ocher. The surface of the stem is pubescent or slightly scaly, covered with a fine, mealy coating arranged in thin bands that easily rubs off with touch. The flesh is light-colored (darker near the cap), very brittle and thin, waxy, with a distinctive odor similar to dampness and no distinctive flavor. The asci contain only two ascospores. The spores are large: 54-80 × 15-18 µm, smooth, elongated-ellipsoid, without oil droplets. The spore powder is yellowish. Ecology and Distribution: The mushroom is common in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Prefers waterlogged, loamy, and sandy loam soils; grows in light, deciduous and mixed, damp, unsodden forests, always near linden, aspen, or birch. Most common in lowlands, it spreads along streams, ditches, and water holes. Under favorable conditions, it grows in very large colonies—up to 50–80 individuals. At different stages of its life cycle, it is likely a mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungus. Morel caps do not tolerate low humidity and quickly dry out on the vine. Season: April to mid-May, with the most abundant fruiting in the first half of May. Similar species Verpa conica has a smoother cap; its fruiting assemblages contain 8 spores. Verpa digitaliformis. The semi-free morel (Morchella semilibera) differs from the morels by its semi-attached cap. Various morel species have caps with a cap margin that is always fused to the stem, a cap that is more cellular than wrinkled, and a cavity inside the fruiting body. All these mushrooms are conditionally edible. Nutritional Qualities The mushroom is edible, but before eating, it can be boiled for 10-15 minutes (drained) or dried to protect against error (inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse this mushroom with the poisonous Gyromitra spp.). However, American sources list the mushroom as inedible, causing mild poisoning and allergic reactions.