foraging food

Poisonous “false morels”, Gyromitra esculenta and Verpa bohemica look very similar to Morel mushrooms. 

Gyromitra have a wrinkled/brain-like  appearance to the cap rather than the honeycomb appearance of true morels 

Gyromitra esculenta has a cap that is usually reddish-brown in colour, but sometimes also chestnut, purplish-brown, or dark brown.

Verpa species contain a cottony substance inside their stem, in contrast to true morels which are always hollow.

The caps of Verpa species (V. bohemica, V. conica and others) are attached to the stem only at the apex (top of the cap), unlike true morels which have caps that are attached to the stem at, or near the base of the cap.