Howard Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 I found these growing on a dead tree between the bark and the wood. I am sure these are Velvet Stalks (Flammulina velutipes) but I found them the first week of September, which is early according to all the resources I've seen. They are usually a fall/winter mushroom and like the cold weather. These were fruiting in 70 degree temp on a sunny September day. Let me know if you find this mushroom in warm weather. I know the velvet stalks can over-winter and will freeze and recover during extreme cold. I had some on a log in my firewood pile that I watched all last winter, when there weren't any other mushrooms to look at. See photo 4 and 5, taken New Years day with temps in the 50's and the last one taken January 9, after the snow melted and the temps dropped into the teens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 Spore print color? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted September 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 54 minutes ago, Dave W said: Spore print color? I didn't take any to get a spore print from on the ones I found early September. I did print the ones from my firewood logs and it was white. I'll take a couple to print when I get back there tomorrow, if they are still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 White spore print --combined with sticky caramel colored caps, white gills, and stalks with dark bases-- is very good evidence for the Flammulina velutipes proposal. I agree that early September is an unusual time to find this species. What sort of low temperatures have you been experiencing lately? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted September 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Low temps were in the low 60's a week before but went into the 50's just before the September photos were taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 That's warm for F. velutipes.... a puzzler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted September 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 Adding to the puzzle, I found another tree busting out with presumably the same mushrooms in a completely different area (miles from the others). These were on a dead standing tree, not sure what species, on the edge of a pond. Our temperatures have been consistently in the lower 60's low to upper 70's high. The lowest low temp we have had since June was 52, about two weeks ago. I did spore prints on both groups and prints were white. I am almost positive these are all Flammulina velutipes, but the early fruiting is puzzling, as Dave said. When the "Winter Mushroom" shows up in early September, does that mean we're in for a long winter? Ugh! Not so bad if it stays warm, though. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendan Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 Yeah they do really look like them. I heard the farmer's almanac was calling for a really bad winter, maybe this is a sign confirming it that they don't know about lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted September 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 Could be, but I hope its not a sign of anything except the stupid velvet foots don't know when they are expected. All the field guides say they fruit from October to May. but may fruit after cold snaps in the summer. I wouldn't call 52 a real cold spell. https://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/gilled fungi/species pages/Flammulina velutipes.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 Looks like a maple tree they're growing on. Very interesting observations. If not F. velutipes, then almost certainly some species of Flammulina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delun Kang Posted November 27, 2019 Report Share Posted November 27, 2019 Quite interesting. I have been running my shiitake mushroom business after buying logs from Agrinoon(Fujian) but cannot identify these mushrooms still. Anyway, I will look into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCn15 Posted November 27, 2019 Report Share Posted November 27, 2019 I get Flammalina Velutipes in September. However, we do get freezing temps at night in September. Sometime a good hard frost...even if it's early and warms up after will get them going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troutddicted Posted November 27, 2019 Report Share Posted November 27, 2019 I smell spam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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