Autumn is the main toadstool season but some hardy fungi
produce theirs in the depths of winter, even during periods of frost and snow.
This is velvet shanks Flammulina velutipes on the trunk of an old
lime tree on the bank of the river Wear in Durham city. On mild, wet days the
cap is smooth and shiny. The pale stem (stipe) darkens as it matures,
developing a velvety texture.
Books say this species is edible when cooked. John Wright,
the The River Cottage Mushroom Handbook described the flavour as ‘unusual
….. distinctly sweet and malty’ and the texture ‘pleasantly chewy’ but cautions
against mistaking it for sulphur tuft (gastrointestinal devastation) or the
funeral bell (the essential caution is implicit in the name). Velvet shank
differs from both in having white spores.
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