492 



MUSHROOMS, EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE 



Verpa, Swartz. 



Verpa means a rod. As- 

 cospore smooth or slightly 

 wrinkled, free from the 

 sides of the stem, attached 

 at the tip of the stem, bell- 

 shaped, thin ; hymenium 

 covering the entire surface 

 of the ascospore; asci cylin- 

 drical, 8-spored. The spores 

 are elliptical, hyaline ; par- 

 aphyses septate. 



The stem is inflated, 

 stuffed, rather long, taper- 

 ing downward. 



Verpa digitaliformis. Pers. 



Digitaliformis is from 

 digitus, a finger, and forma, 

 a form. 



The pileus is bell-shaped, 

 attached to the tip of the 

 stem, but otherwise free 

 from it ; olive-umber in 

 color; smooth, thin, closely 

 pressed to the stem, but al- 

 ways free ; the edge some- 

 times inflexed. 



The stem is three inches 

 high, tapering downward, 

 furnished at the base with 

 reddish radicels ; white, with 

 a reddish tinge ; apparently 

 smooth, but under the glass quite scaly ; loosely stuffed. The asci are large, 8- 

 spored, the spores being elliptical. The paraphyses are slender and septate. 



Figure 417 represents several plants, natural size. The one in the right- 

 hand corner is old, with a ragged pileus ; the vertical section shows the pithy 

 contents of the stem. The plants are found in cool, moist, and shady ravines 

 from May to August. Edible, but not very good. 



Figure 415. Morchella bispora. One-half natural size. 



