Panaeolus subbalteatus

SPECIES Panaeolus subbalteatus Berkeley and Broome = Panaeolus venenosus Murrill 

STRAINS Fruiting strains are easily obtained from wild specimens. 

NATURAL HABITAT Scattered to numerous on stable leavings from horses in horse dung or in well manured grounds. This species is widely distributed across the North American continent and throughout temperate regions of the world. 

Mycelial Type Cottony mycelia noted whitish to off-white in color. 

Fruiting Substrate Horse manure compost, pasteurized wheat straw. 

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Spore Prints and Preparation, 248 Stropharia (Psilocybe) cubensis (San Isidro), 250 Psilocybe semilanceata (Liberty Caps), 253 Panaeolus subbalteatus (benanosis), 256 Psilocybe cyanescens (Wavy Caps, Blue Halos), 257 Psilocybe baeocystis, 258 Pilocybe stuntzii, 260... 

Panaeolus subbalteatus has a long shelf life and contains no psilocin the psychoactivity comes only from psilocybin and its analogues. The amounts are low to moderate for psilocybin, varying from a little over 1.5 mg./gm. up to 6.0 mg./gm. dry weight. 

Figure 3 - Water color painting o/Panaeolus subbalteatus (Germany, 1927). 

In 1970, another poisoning case with Panaeolus subbalteatus occurred in Leipzig. Similar to the 1915 incident in New York, the mushrooms spontaneously emerged among a culture of artificially cultivated mushrooms (Stropharia rugoso-annulata Farlow, in this case) and then were eaten by mistake. The description of its effects is somewhat peculiar. 

In his description of a Scottish case of intoxication in 1977, Watling mentions marked blue colorations along the caps of stems of Panaeolus subbalteatus, which also developed in reaction to pressure. According to my observations, the formation of blue stains is very rare. Reports from the Pacific Northwest United States also state that only one in a hundred mushrooms actually turns blue. 

Figure 27 - Description of Panaeolus subbalteatus by Michael Schulz from...

More recent studies of carefully identified mushroom material from the European Panaeolus species did not document substantial amounts of psilocin in these samples. Also, "chemical races" associated with specific species could not be established. I believe that almost all accidental intoxications can be traced to ingestion of Panaeolus subbalteatus, with the possible exception of one case caused by an imported tropical species. Very little is said in the literature about Panaeolus retimes, its area of distribution and chemical composition. The intoxication case from Bremen, however, indicates that this species is psychoactive (see Figure 28). In 1985,1 found two fruiting bodies in a pasture, whose dried weight contained 0.03 - 0.05 % psilocybin, as well as serotonin. All of the mushrooms features, such as wrinkled, fleshcolored caps, corresponded to descriptions of Panaeolus retirugis. 

It is important to keep in mind that more comprehensive studies on taxonomy and biochemical composition are needed in order to fully understand the Panaeolus species. Perhaps A. Weil s suggestion that Panaeolus subbalteatus from America s Pacific Northwest induces comparatively stronger somatic effects than the Psilocybe species can be investigated chemically as well as toxicologically, in order to reject or support this hypothesis. 

Initially, he believed that his nutrient substrates had been contaminated by molds, because Panaeolus subbalteatus is a species that almost never spontaneously turns bluish-green. Figure 47 shows a distinct sclerotia formation of the species Psilocybe semilanceata. The formation of these permanent structures with Conocybe cyanopus has been described in a previous chapter (see Figure 35, p. 57). 

Panaeolus subbalteatus also fruited after 92 days on a mixture of cow dung and damp rice. The physical appearance of these fruiting bodies differed considerably from specimens of the same species that had grown on naturally occurring substrates (Figure 3, p. 6 and Figure 51, p. 76). 

Panaeolus subbalteatus grows in several areas in the Hawaiian Islands, but it is used less frequently than other Panaeolus species. Even though one often hears about "Hawaiian strains" of Psilocybe cubensis, the species is not native to The Islands and should grow there only under conditions of artificial cultivation. Any spawn used for cultivation, however, must have been... 

Much work still remains to be done in the areas of phytochemistry and taxonomy before the body of knowledge about psychotropic mushroom species in Japan can grow to become adequate. The geographic distribution and ingredients of the Japanese Panaeolus species must also be studied further. For instance, Panaeolus subbalteatus is one of the species that are growing on several Japanese islands today. 

Brodie, H.J. (1935). The heterothallism of Panaeolus subbalteatus Berk., a sklerotium-producing agaric. Canadian Journal of Research, 12, 657-666. 

Gartz, J. (1989). Analyse der Indolderivate in Fmchtkorpem and Mycelien von Panaeolus subbalteatus (Berk. Br.)Sacc. Biochem. Physiol. 

Color photo of several Panaeolus subbalteatus specimens. 

Panaeolus subbalteatus (=cinctulus) growing on horse dung. Found in the black forest, Germany (14.10.2000)... 

Panaeolus Subbalteatus Common Name(s) Coffee Cap Poison Psilocybin... 

Panaeolus subbalteatus (Berk, et Broome) Sac,-272,282,288,290,301-4,310,318 Panaeohts venenosus Murr.—277,301,304 Pancratium trianthum Herbert—417... 

Figure 157 Panaeolus subbalteatus fruiting outdoors on horse manure-wood chip compost.

Comments Panaeolus subbalteatus is a fast running and an early fruiting mushroom that easily grows in controlled environments. Possessing low levels of psilocybin and/or psitocin, the fruit-bodies are small compared to other cultivated mushrooms. Hence, it has not been as popular with home cultivators as for instance, Psilocybe cubensis. 

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