Flammulina velutipes, commonly known as velvet foot or velvet shank, is a type of winter mushroom found across the UK from November to February. Due to their ability to survive being frozen, they are perfect to forage in the winter where other food may be sparse. Additionally, you may have heard of this mushroom as Enoki- the Japanese name for the cultivated variety of this mushroom. Wild velvet foot, a bright orange fungi, has little resemblance to enokitake, which is usually white-stemmed and small-capped; this is because enoki is cultivated in the dark in jars. The stem elongates as the fungi searches for light, and is very thin to conserve energy.
Habitat:
This fungi is often found on decomposing hardwood logs, and is both a saprophyte on dead logs and a parasite to broadleaved trees such as elm and willow. It is usually found when the bark is still attached, and has also been seen to grow on roots and buried woods. Overall, this is a very common fungi to see in the winter in woodlands or areas with dead wood such as in gardens.
Anatomy:
Cap and Flesh- The cap is bright orange in colour, becoming paler at the edge and darker in the middle. The flesh appears as a thin yellow-orange colour which is darker in mature stems. They start off as convex but flatten as they age; however, due to the close proximity in which they grow their shape is often distorted. They can be 1-7 cm wide and appear damp and sticky when young, and when dry they appear smooth. The specimen I found was in late February, so they condition of its cap was old and damaged.
Gills- These are white to pale yellow, and are different lengths; appearing broadly or narrowly attached to the stem or not attached at all. Before eating this mushroom in the wild, a spore print should be done by pressing the cap, gills face down, onto paper; if the print is white then the mushroom is Flammulina velutipes and can be eaten.
Stem- The stem can range from 2-11 cm long and 3-10mm thick. It slightly thickens at the base, and is a pale yellow/ brown colour when young; turning into a dark brown-black ‘velvet’ colour when matured.
Edibility:
These mushrooms are edible, but the skin on the cap should be removed before cooking. While the stems are also edible, they are often tough, so many people only eat the caps. Like many other edible mushrooms, this should always been thoroughly cooked before consumption and should only be consumed if the identification is 100% correct. Interestingly this mushroom, in its wild form and more researched cultivated form, has many beneficial properties. Extracts from the fungi have show high levels of anti-cancer compounds; this was tested in an epidemiology survey of F. velutipes farmers in Japan where they found that the workers had lower rates of cancer than non mushroom farmers. These mushrooms are also immune-boosting, with many nutrients and antioxidants. They contain the compounds thiamin, niacin, potassium, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, and selenium; and the amino acids valine, lysine, and ergothioneine. Furthermore they are also low in cholesterol and sodium. This has many beneficial effects once eaten, so is an ideal addition to recipes such as mushroom soup, risotto, stir-fry’s, and Asian dishes such as bibimbap, ramen and dumplings.
However, this is based of the assumption that Flammulina velutipes is same species as Enokitake which, as previously mentioned, is a cultivated fungi in South East Asia. New molecular evidence has been suggested since then, and this mushroom may actually be different species known as Flammulina filiformis.
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