winter mushrooms

Description:

Also known as the "Velvet Foot," or, in the case of desperate mushroomers, the "At Least Something's Out in January" Mushroom, Flammulina velutipes is one of the few mushrooms that can be found in winter (outside of coastal California and the Gulf Coast). Before you strap on your snowshoes and go tearing off for the woods, however, let me add that this little mushroom is rather nondescript and, um, boring--with the possible exception of its dark, velvety stem. Honestly, now: Since when did you decide that a dark, velvety stem was interesting? The answer is that you have months left until spring, and you are not yourself. Maybe you should buy a nice new mushroom book instead. Anyway, Flammulina velutipes is only likely to fruit during warm spells, so if there is snow covering the ground you're not likely to find it. The "enoki mushroom," also called the "enokitake," is a cultivated form of Flammulina velutipes, and is often found in grocery stores and restaurants. It looks nothing like the wild mushroom, however; it is pale, long-stemmed, and tiny-capped (see the "notes"). ( http://www.mushroomexpert.com/flammulina... )

Habitat:

Distribution, America and Europe. This mushroom is often sold in a cultivated form as Enokitake, the reason that it does not resemble the wild form is that it is grown entirely in the dark. ---- location: North America, Europe edibility: Choice fungus colour: White to cream, Red or redish or pink normal size: 5-15cm cap type: Convex to shield shaped stem type: Lateral, rudimentary or absent flesh: Flesh fibrous usually pliable (like grass) spore colour: White, cream or yellowish habitat: Grows on wood ( http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/D... )

Notes:

If you plan to collect Flammulina velutipes for eating, there are some precautions you must take. Most importantly you must make a spore print-- and for Flammulina it should be white. The mushrooms should also have no annulus (ring) on the stalk. If the spore print is brown and there is a ring, you have likely picked a deadly Galerina autumnalis. You must check every mushroom you pick for brown spore color and annulus. If either characteristic is present do not eat it. Sometimes the annulus falls off and sometimes in young specimens the brown color of the gills is not fully developed. The major problem with Galerina poisoning comes when the picker becomes careless and inadvertently includes this deadly mushroom in a collection. The two species can occupy similar habitats and can be sometimes found fruiting side by side. Galerina autumnalis contains the same toxin as Amanita virosa, the death angel, so you must be very careful. ( http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/... ) --- Enokitake are long, thin white mushrooms commonly used in Asian cuisines. Enokitake mushrooms contain compounds with anti-tumor activity and epidemiological studies in Japan have associated the mushroom with lower cancer rates. ( http://www.medicalmushrooms.net/flammuli... ) ----- ( http://www.soortenbank.nl/soorten.php?so... ) In addition these mushrooms contain the antioxidant ergothioneine. In vivo research showed that Proflamin, a compound isolated from Enokitake provided an 85% longer survival time in mice with cancer. Another in vivo study showed that Enokitake demonstrated anti-cancer activity in Swiss albino mice with Sarcoma 180. This mushroom can be used to treat staphylococcus aureus