Identification
A wrinkled brown cap hanging free on a tall stem — the skirt attaches only at the very top, unlike fused morels.
Edibility — conditional
Conditionally edible — thorough cooking required; raw or undercooked it causes gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. A subset of people react even cooked.
In practice
- Free-hanging thimble cap = Verpa; fused ridges = morel.
- First meal — a small portion, cooked well.