Velvet Shank
Flammulina velutipes
Identification of Velvet Shank (*Flammulina velutipes*)
1 / 4
All Images (4)
Key Features
- Viscid
- slimy
- yellow-orange to tawny cap
- Grows clustered on wood (stumps
- logs
- roots)
- Stem tough
- slender
- dark brown to blackish at base
- Stem base covered in fine
- dark velvet hairs (velutinous)
- Fruiting occurs late autumn through winter
Color:
Yellow-orange (cap), pale cream (gills), dark brown/black (stem base)
Smell:
No distinctive smell
Growth Pattern:
Clustered
Environment:
Wood
Habitat & Distribution
Habitat:
Deciduous forests, growing on hardwood logs, stumps, or buried roots
Distribution:
Widespread across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere
Seasonality:
Late Autumn, Winter
Economic Value
Market Demand:
High - The cultivated form ('Enoki') is widely consumed globally.
Price Range:
$5-15/lb fresh (cultivated)
Commercial Use:
Cultivated commercially as a food source (Enokitake)
Similar Species
Deadly Galerina
Galerina marginata
Key Differences:
- Has a distinct membranous ring (annulus) on the stem
- Stem is uniform brown, not velvety black at the base
- Spore print is rusty brown (F. velutipes is white)
Sulphur Tuft
Hypholoma fasciculare
Key Differences:
- Gills are greenish-yellow when mature
- Cap is typically sulfur yellow, not orange-brown
- Stem lacks the dark, velvety base
Recommended Action
Do not consume. If consumption is considered, definitive identification by a certified mycologist is mandatory due to the presence of deadly lookalikes.