VElVET SHANK FUNGUS

Another fungus showing up at Filnore Woods:  down by the footbridge there is a small dead elm tree.  At the base of the trunk there is a cluster of orangey flame-coloured toadstools growing out of the wood.  This is one of the few toadstools that can withstand frost.

These are the brightly coloured fruiting bodies of the Velvet Shank Fungus, a specialist at consuming dead elms.

I broke a couple off to show the pale gills underneath and the stem which is covered in black fur, like velvet.  This is what gives it the 'velvet shank' name.

The scientific name is Flammulina velutipes, which is Latin for 'little flame with velvet feet'.