Gymnopilus braendlei
Encyclopedia
Gymnopilus braendlei is a species of fungus that contains the hallucinogens psilocybin
and psilocin
. It was originally collected by mycologist Charles Horton Peck
as Flammula braendlei in the District of Columbia near Washington (1902).
It is widespread in the eastern U.S.
Psilocybin
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug, with mind-altering effects similar to those of LSD and mescaline, after it is converted to psilocin. The effects can include altered thinking processes, perceptual distortions, an altered sense of time, and spiritual experiences, as well as...
and psilocin
Psilocin
Psilocin , an aromatic compound, sometimes also spelled psilocine, psilocyn, or psilotsin, is a psychedelic mushroom alkaloid. It is found in most psychedelic mushrooms together with its phosphorylated counterpart psilocybin...
. It was originally collected by mycologist Charles Horton Peck
Charles Horton Peck
Charles Horton Peck, born March 30, 1833 in Sand Lake, New York, died 1917 in Albany, New York, was an American mycologist of the 19th and early 20th centuries...
as Flammula braendlei in the District of Columbia near Washington (1902).
Description
- PileusPileus (mycology)The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
: 2.5 – 5 cm, hemispheric becoming convex, sometimes slightly umbilicate, hygrophanousHygrophanousThe adjective hygrophanous refers to the color change of mushroom tissue as it loses or absorbs water, which causes the pileipellis to become more transparent when wet and opaque when dry....
, purplish when young then pinkish and lighter towards the margin, becoming yellowish in age with greenish stains, fibrillose, sometimes squamulose toward the center, flesh whitish, thin, staining greenish. - Gills: Adnate, sometimes slightly sinuate in attachment, broad, close, whitish when young, becoming bright orangish brown to mustard yellow, becoming bright orangish brown in age.
- Spore Print: Orangish brown.
- StipeStipe (mycology)thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
: 2.5 – 4 cm x 3 – 4 cm thick, more or less equal, pallid, sometimes yellowish at the base, fibrillose above, stuffed or hollow, veil fibrillose, sometimes leaving a silky zone but not forming an annulusAnnulus (mycology)An annulus is the ring like structure sometimes found on the stipe of some species of mushrooms. The annulus represents the remaining part of the partial veil, after it has ruptured to expose the gills or other spore-producing surface. An annulus may be thick and membranous, or it may be cobweb-like...
. - Taste: Bitter
- Microscopic features: Spores 6 x 8.5 x 4.5 — 5 µm ellipsoid to ovoid in face view, dextrinoid, verruculose, no germ pore. Pleurocystidia 22— 33 x 6— 7 µm, cheilocystidia 20 — 34 x 3 — 7 µm, caulocystidia none, clamp connectionClamp connectionA clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...
s present.
Habitat and distribution
Gymnopilus braendlei is found growing solitary or cespitose on tree stumps, June - November.It is widespread in the eastern U.S.