Velvet Shank (Flammulina Velutipes) Identification

How to Identify Velvet Shanks

Common Names:

Velvet Shank, Enoki

Botanical Name:

Flammulina Velutipes 

Meaning of Botanical Name:

Flammulina meaning flaming top, and Velutipes meaning velvety leg

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Fungi, 

Division: Basidiomycota,

Class: Agaricomycetes, 

Order: Agaricales,

Family: Physalacriaceae

Genus: Flammulina

Known Hazards:

None known

Could be confused with:

Sulphur tufts that don’t have the velvety brown to the stem and can’t withstand the winter cold as well, they also have a sulphurous colour to them.

Food Plant of:

This mushroom rarely has maggots.

Range and Distribution:

Common throughout Britain and Ireland, Europe, Aisa, North Africa and North America

Habitat:

Occurs on logs and stumps of hardwood trees and diseased trees

Physical Characteristics of the Velvet Shank Mushroom: 

Cap

They grow in clusters on stumps, The caps are flame-like, orange in the centre becoming lighter and yellowy towards the edge

Gills

The gills are creamy coloured, adnate and well-spaced.

Stem

The stem starts of orangy yellow when young becoming dark brown and velvety with age.

Smell

They have a lovely sweet fruity metallic smell.

Spores

This mushroom has a white spore print.

Edible Use:

The Velvet Shank Mushroom Fantastic edible mushroom, the stems can be a little chewy but go well in stews etc.

Herbal:

These mushrooms have good very anti-cancer properties.

The last word goes to……..

This gorgeous mushroom is a wild variety of the cultivated Enoki mushroom which is often used within Asian Cuisine.