Flammulina velutipes Curt.: Fries) Karst.
Velvet foot

Common Name: Velvet foot

• Pileus

  Cap 1-3 cm broad, convex, plano-convex in age; surface smooth, sticky when moist, disc reddish-brown to yellow-brown shading to a cream-colored margin, in age sometimes entirely dark, tawny-brown; flesh soft, white, thin; odor and taste mild.

• Lamellae

  Gills adnexed, broad, close, white to cream, slowly bruising brown.

• Stipe

  Stipe 1.5-7 cm tall, 0.2-0.7 cm thick, cartilaginous, equal to tapering downward, finely pubescent, pallid to cream above, blackish-brown at the base, at maturity almost entirely blackish-brown except the apex; veil absent.

• Spores

  Spores 7.0-8.5 x 3.5-4.5 µm, elliptical, smooth; spore print white.

• Habitat

  Solitary to clustered on hardwood stumps and logs; fruiting from late fall to mid-winter.

• Edibility

  Edible and excellent.

• Comments

  Flammulina velutipes is recognized by a sticky, orange-brown cap and dark, finely pubescent stipe. In coastal Northern California it is extremely common at the base of senescent Bush Lupine (Lupinus arboreus). This species is commercially grown, sold in many markets under the name Enoki. The cultivated product, which is grown in the dark and as a result has long, slender, pale stipes and tiny caps, bears little resemblance to wild material.

• Other Descriptions and Photos
  • Fred Stevens: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Nathan Wilson: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month: Flammulina velutipes (D & CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik -- Hunting for Mushrooms: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Eileen's Mushroom Mania: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Eileen's Mushroom Mania: Flammulina velutipes (CP) -- closeup
  • Eileen's Mushroom Mania: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Cercle des mycologues de MontrΘal: Flammulina velutipes (D & CP)
  • Na Grzyby: Flammulina velutipes (D & CP)
  • Pilzgalerie.de: Flammulina velutipes (D & CP)
  • R. A. Chilton: Flammulina velutipes (D & CP)
  • Pilze, Pilze, Pilze: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Kinok-ya: Flammulina velutipes (CP)
  • Arora (1986): p. 230 (D & P), plate 26 (CP)
  • Arora (1991): p. 37 (D & CP)
  • Breitenbach & Kränzlin (vol. 3): sp. 210 (D, I, & CP)
  • Jordan: p. 154 (D & CP)
  • Lincoff: p. 759 (D), plate 63 (CP)
  • McKenny et al.: p. 58 (D), p. 59 (CP)
  • Miller: sp. 137 (D & CP)
  • Smith & Weber: sp. 111 (D & CP)

  (D=Description; I=Illustration; P=Photo; CP=Color Photo)