Psilocybe cyanescens

Appearance

''Psilocybe cyanescens'' has a hygrophanous pileus that is caramel to chestnut-brown when moist, fading to pale buff or slightly yellowish when dried. Caps generally measure from 1.5–5 cm across, and are normally distinctly wavy in maturity. The color of the pileus is rarely seen in mushrooms outside of the ''P. cyanescens'' species complex. Most parts of the mushroom, including the cap and Lamellae can stain blue when touched or otherwise disturbed, probably due to the oxidation of psilocin. The lamellae are adnate, and light brown to dark purple brown in maturity, with lighter gill edges. There is no distinct annulus, but immature ''P. cyanescens'' specimens do have a cobwebby veil which may leave an annular zone in maturity. Both the odor and taste are farinaceous.

''P. cyanescens'' has smooth, elliptical spores which measure 9 - 12 x 5 - 8 µm. According to some authors, the holotype collection of the species from Kew Gardens featured no pleurocystidia, but North American collections are characterized by common clavate-mucronate pleurocystidia. However, pleurocystidia are present in the holotype collection . In European collections of ''P. cyanescens'', pleurocystidia are common and their shape is identical to those known from the United States. In 2012, an epitype from Hamburg, Germany was designated....hieroglyph snipped...

Fresh sporocarps and mycelia of ''P. cyanescens'' generally bruise blueish or blue-green where damaged, and the staining remains visible after drying. This staining is most noticeable on the stem but can also occur on other parts of the mushroom, including the gills, cap, and mycelium. This staining is due primarily to the oxidation of psilocin.

Naming

Other related species may include ''P. weraroa'', and these relatives are collectively referred to as the "''Psilocybe cyanescens'' complex" or as the "caramel-capped psilocybe complex," due to their extremely similar appearance and habit. There is phylogenetic evidence that there are two distinct clades in the complex, one consisting of ''P. cyanescens'' and ''P. azurescens'' and allies, and the other consisting of ''P. serbica'' and allies . It has also been shown that ''Psilocybe weraroa'' is very closely related to ''P. cyanescens'' despite its vastly dissimilar appearance.

A very close relative of ''P. cyanescens'' is ''Psilocybe allenii'' , formerly known as ''Psilocybe cyanofriscosa'', a mushroom found in California and Washington It can be distinguished by macromorphological features and/or sequencing of rDNA ITS molecular marker.

It is often difficult or impossible to distinguish between members of the ''P. cyanescens'' complex except by range without resorting to microscopic or molecular characters.

Although not closely related, ''Psilocybe cyanescens'' has been at least occasionally confused with ''Galerina marginata'' with fatal results. The two mushrooms have generally similar habits and appearances, and bear a superficial resemblance to each other such that inexperienced mushroom-seekers may confuse the two. The two species can grow side-by-side, which may add to the chance of confusion.

Distribution

''Psilocybe cyanescens'' grows today primarily on wood chips, especially in and along the perimeter of mulched plant beds in urban areas, but can also grow on other lignin-rich substrates. ''P. cyanescens'' does not grow on substrate that is not lignin-rich. Fruitings have been reported in natural settings previously The species does not typically grow on mulch that is made from bark.

In the United States, ''P. cyanescens'' occurs mainly in the Pacific Northwest, south to the San Francisco Bay Area. It can also be found in areas such as Western Europe, Central Europe, New Zealand and parts of west Asia . The range in which ''P. cyanescens'' occurs is rapidly expanding, especially in areas where it is not native as the use of mulch to control weeds has been popularized. This rapid expansion of range may be due in part to the simple expedient of ''P. cyanescens'' mycelium having colonized the distribution network of woodchip suppliers and thus being distributed on a large scale with commercial mulch. It has been documented to fruit in Spring on the East Coast of the United States.

Although it has been speculated that ''P. cyanescens native habitat is the coniferous woodlands of the north-western United States or coastal dunes in the PNW, the type specimen was described from mulch beds in Kew Gardens, and there is no widely accepted explanation of ''P. cyanescens'' original habitat....hieroglyph snipped...

Fruiting is dependent on a drop in temperature. In the San Francisco Bay Area, this means that fruiting typically occurs between late October and February, and fruiting in other areas generally occurs in fall, when temperatures are between 10-18 °C .

''P. cyanescens'' often fruits gregariously or in cespitose clusters, sometimes in great numbers. 100,000 ''P. cyanescens'' fruits were once found growing on a racetrack in the south of England. Solitary fruits are sometimes also found.

Status

''P. cyanescens'' specimens do not fall under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances because the convention does not cover naturally occurring plants that incidentally contain a scheduled drug. However, many countries choose to prohibit possession of psilocybin containing mushrooms, including ''P. cyanescens'', under their domestic laws.

Countries that have banned or severely regulated the possession of ''P. cyanescens'' include the United States, Germany, New Zealand, and many others. Although this is difficult to enforce since no species of Psilocybe mushroom has spores containing psilocybin or psilocin. Because of this, ''Psilocybe cyanescens'' spores are not illegal to possess in many US states.

Habitat

''Psilocybe cyanescens'' grows today primarily on wood chips, especially in and along the perimeter of mulched plant beds in urban areas, but can also grow on other lignin-rich substrates. ''P. cyanescens'' does not grow on substrate that is not lignin-rich. Fruitings have been reported in natural settings previously The species does not typically grow on mulch that is made from bark.

In the United States, ''P. cyanescens'' occurs mainly in the Pacific Northwest, south to the San Francisco Bay Area. It can also be found in areas such as Western Europe, Central Europe, New Zealand and parts of west Asia . The range in which ''P. cyanescens'' occurs is rapidly expanding, especially in areas where it is not native as the use of mulch to control weeds has been popularized. This rapid expansion of range may be due in part to the simple expedient of ''P. cyanescens'' mycelium having colonized the distribution network of woodchip suppliers and thus being distributed on a large scale with commercial mulch. It has been documented to fruit in Spring on the East Coast of the United States.

Although it has been speculated that ''P. cyanescens native habitat is the coniferous woodlands of the north-western United States or coastal dunes in the PNW, the type specimen was described from mulch beds in Kew Gardens, and there is no widely accepted explanation of ''P. cyanescens'' original habitat....hieroglyph snipped...

Fruiting is dependent on a drop in temperature. In the San Francisco Bay Area, this means that fruiting typically occurs between late October and February, and fruiting in other areas generally occurs in fall, when temperatures are between 10-18 °C .

''P. cyanescens'' often fruits gregariously or in cespitose clusters, sometimes in great numbers. 100,000 ''P. cyanescens'' fruits were once found growing on a racetrack in the south of England. Solitary fruits are sometimes also found.