Stalker had never heard of Flammulina velutipes, the space shuttle mushroom, until recently.
Edible, but tough. Despite appearances, the commercially produced “enoki” mushroom found in many grocery stores is a cultivated form of this mushroom.
In 1993, NASA sent F. veluptipes into orbit aboard the space shuttle to test the mushroom’s reaction to zero gravity.
Instead of growing more or less vertically, F. veluptipes shot out in all directions. Nonetheless, it grew well which was good news for future astronauts who want an extra on their pizza.
With planned missions to Mars in the not too distant future, this mushroom could become a real star.
