Psilocybe cyanescens

GREEK AND LATIN ROOTS Psiloci/be comes from the Creek psilos or bald head. The species name cyanescens is from cyaneus or blue for the color reaction of the flesh upon bruising. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Cap 20-50 mm. broad, convex to broadly convex to plane in age with an elevated and undulating margin which is, in turn, translucent-striate. The cap surface is smooth and viscid when moist from a separable gelatinous pellicle ( skin ). The color is caramel 

NATURAL HABITAT Clustered in woody habitats in soils high in the tissue of deciduous trees or in tall rank grass. This species grows throughout the Pacific Northwest in areas well mulched by woody debris of deciduous and coniferous trees (typically not associated with bark). It has been reported from England and is thought to be broadly distributed throughout the European continent. 

Mycelial Types Rhizomorphic to closely linear whitish in color. 

Spawn Medium Sawdust/bran or rye grain spawn. 

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Psilocybin can be found in over 100 species of mushrooms in Mexico, Central America, and northwestern and southeastern parts of the United States. Some of the common mushroom varieties are Psilocybe mexicana, Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe azure-scens, and Psilocybe cyanescen. Street names include Alice, magic mushrooms, purple passion, sh rooms, and siUy putty. 

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... 

Over this period, many interested parties have become knowledgeable about mushroom growing, with a few people doing much additional experimentation. Among other current developments, we are seeing a fair amount of cultivation of other psilocybian species such as of Psilocybe cyanescens (which is large and full of psilocybin, but so far has been a poor "fruiter ). Also, procedures are becoming steadily simpler with time and practice. 

Freezing is most critical for those mushrooms known to contain psilocin, such as Psilocybe cyanescens or Stropharia cubensis, because they have a short shelf life at room temperature. For ingestion, such powders can be capped, blended into a "smoothie, or drunk with chocolate. A chocolate drink prepared with honey, spices and water (there was no milk in pre-Conquest America aside from corn whey) has long been associated with mushroom rituals and is quite pleasant served before a velada. 

Psilocybe cyanescens (Wavy Caps, Blue Halos)... 

Psilocybe cyanescens, a large species with an undulating caramel-colored cap, is the most potent psilocybian mushroom, detected anywhere. It fruits prolifically from fall through winter in the Pacific Northwest. 

Other North American fungi which have recently been shown to contain psilocybin and psilocin are Psilocybe cyanescens andP. baeocystis Singer and Smith (83b, 83c) psilocybin also occurs in Conocybe cyanopus (83b). Curiously, psilocin appears to be present in much larger amounts than psilocybin in P. baeocystis (83c). 

One Psilocybe species is documented from northern Algeria P. mairei, resembling the potent Psilocybe cyanescens. This group thrives in riparian habitats—open areas with sandy soils seasonally littered with wood debris. P. mairei is relatively rare, having been collected only a few times this century. Do these few collections represent the end of a bygone era when mushrooms were more prevalent Perhaps P. mairei is the same species that inspired the artist who drew the mushroom figures in the Tassili cave. 

Figure 7 - Distribution pattern of Psilocybe cyanescens across Europe and North Africa (according to Krieglsteiner). Black dots indicate approximate locations where Psilocybe...

PSILOCYBE CYANESCENS - POTENT MUSHROOMS GROWING ON WOOD DEBRIS... 

While Psilocybe semilanceata is a speeies that has long been elearly defined and is well known by this name, there are, aeeording to Krieglsteiner, other strongly bluing mushrooms that ean be deseribed as belonging to the "Psilocybe cyanescens complex". These are all mushrooms that grow on raw compost and plant debris. 

In accordance with current states of knowledge, the following names in the literature are merely synonyms for Psilocybe cyanescens Wakefield emend. Krieglsteiner ... 

Figure 7 (p. 14) displays locations in Europe and North Africa where samples of Psilocybe cyanescens have been found. 

In 1946 Wakefield described as Psilocybe cyanescens Wakefield a sample of bluing daik-spored mushrooms collected at the botanical gardens in Kew, England. It had been suggested... 

On several occasions, a number of fruiting bodies classifed as Psilocybe cyanescens were also discovered in Germany (see Figure 23, p. 32). 

The description of Psilocybe cyanescens below is somewhat condensed, but essentially applies to all other collections, while the relative measures and sizes may vary ... 

A few other analyses of German mushrooms yielded similar results. These values were well within the range of concentrations of alkaloids found in Mexican species. The most extensive studies on distribution, psychoactivity and chemical compounds of Psilocybe cyanescens complex were conducted in the former Czechoslovakia, where the mushrooms are generally known as Psilocybe bohemica, a name which is also used in the text below. 

Distribution Patterns of Psilocybe cyanescens in the Wake of Environmental Changes... 

In spite of the intense blue staining reaction, there is very little or no psilocin in mushrooms of the European Psilocybe cyanescens complex. By chemical-taxonomic standards, European collections are very different from Psilocybe cyanescens samples collected in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The latter are known to contain up to 1 % psilocin (dried mushrooms) as well as an equally high level of psilocybin (for a total alkaloid level of 2 %),... 

Generally we can say that this potently psychoactive and conspicuous species is in the process of expanding its habitat across Europe. Increasing use of fertilizer, the acidification of the soil in many regions and the presence in any wet forest or park of a variety of fertile substrates, such as mulch, not dependent on the presence of dung, are all factors that will likely help Psilocybe cyanescens achieve a remarkably wide area of distribution in the future. 

At the same time, such cross-breeding experiments enable the grower to determine whether mushrooms from different locations belong to the same species. Using this method, I was able to establish that mycelia obtained from Psilocybe bohemica and from Psilocybe cyanescens (collected in the U.S.) can never be fused together, which means that these two mushrooms are not of the same species. 

However, since the early 1980s, growing numbers of mycophiles in North America and Europe have successfully used "natural outdoor cultivation" to fruit Psilocybe cyanescens and similar species. This process involves selection of natural wood substrates striated with mycelia (rhizomorphs) that usually turn blue in response to handling. The mycelia are then transferred onto fresh wood chips or commercial mulch (not from cedar trees). After several months of growth, the mycelia fruit during the fall season. 

Based on Southcott s (1974) writings, it is likely that the unpleasant taste of fresh specimens of Psilocybe cyanescens was the main reason for the processing of the Ifuiting bodies. 

Later on, G. Malencon classified a number of similar specimens from his own samples collected in the Central Atlas Mountains (Morocco) as belonging to this species. In 1973, Singer then classified the species as Psilocybe mairei Sing. Krieglsteiner, however, considered this species to be identical with Psilocybe cyanescens Wakefield, as found in Europe. Thus, bluing Psilocybe species can still be found in Africa today. 

Apparently, all of the most important psilocybin-producing European mushroom species are already well known. Their geographic distribution and migration patterns, however, have not yet been adequately investigated. This knowledge gap primarily applies to recently discovered species outside the Psilocybe genus. In addition, there is a lack of comprehensive sources of information on distribution patterns of Psilocybe cyanescens for a number of different countries. 

Catalfomo, P. Tyler, V.E. (1964). The production of psilocybin in submerged culture by Psilocybe cubensis. Lloydia, 21, 53-63. Clemencon, H. (1994). Der Nodulus and die Organogenese wahrend der Ifuhen Frucht-korperentwicklung von Psilocybe cyanescens. Zeitschriftfur Mykologie, 60, 49-68. 

Neal, J.M., Benedict, R.G. Brady, R. (1968). Interrelationship of phosphate nutrition, nitrogen metabolism and accumulation of key secondary metabolites in saprophytic culture of Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe cyanescens and Panaeolus campanulatus. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 57, 1661-1667. 

Krieglsteiner, G.J.(1986). Studien zum Psilocybe cyanescens-callosa-semilanceata-Komplex in Europa. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pike Mitteleuropas, 2, 57-72. 

Semerdzieva, M. Wurst, M. (1986). Psychotrope Inhaltsstoffe zweier Psilocybe-Arten/Kahlkopfe aus der CSSR. Mykologisches Mitteilungsblatt (Germany), 29, 65-70. Tjallingii-Beukers, D. (1976). Een blauw-wordemde Psilocybe (Psilocybe cyanescens Wakefield 1946). Coolia, 19, 38-43. 

Unger, S.E. Cooks, R.G. (1979). Application of mass spectometry, mass spectometry (MS/MS) to the identification of natural products in Psilocybe cyanescens. Analytical Letters 12 (Part B), 1157-1167. 

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