Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa
Encyclopedia
Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa also known as Rhododendron Psilocybe and Blue-Haired Psilocybe is a psilocybin mushroom
of the Agaricales
family having psilocybin
and psilocin
as main active compounds. First documented in 1980 in the Pacific Northwest
, it is relatively uncommon and can be distinguished from other closely related species by its smaller spores and forking cheilocystidia.
Psilocybe cyanescens
also has forking cheilocystidia, but less often than Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa. Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa is also distinguished from Psilocybe cyanescens by an absence of pleurocystidia .
The name of this species refers to the fibrils on the stipe that turn bluish in age, or when handled.
This species is closely related to Psilocybe subfimetaria.
is 1.4–3.5 cm in diameter and conic to convex to broadly convex then becoming flat in age. It is not usually umbonate. The pileus is deep chestnut brown and hygrophanous
, fading to yellowish brown or grayish white when dry. The surface is viscid when moist from the separable gelatinous pellicle
.
s are purplish brown in deposit, subellipsoid in shape, and (9)9.5–11(12) x (5.5)6–6.6(7) µm
.
is 3–8 cm long and 0.5 cm thick. It has an equal structure only enlarging near the base. The stipe is striate, pallid to yellow brown with fine fibrils that stain blue when handled. The stipe has a cortina that sometimes leaves a fragile annular zone. White rhizomorph
s are at the base. The flesh is brownish and bruises bluish to indigo-black.
each produce four spores, and rarely only two spores. The cheilocystidia are fusiform to lanceolate and 22–33 x 5.5–7 µm, with an elongated, forking neck and are 1–1.5 µm thick at its apex. Pleurocystidia are absent in Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa.
to British Columbia, Canada. It is found in soils enriched with deciduous
wood debris, among bush lupin
es, in Alder
and Willow
wood chips and bark mulch, Fir
sawdust, in coastal regions, in rhododendron
gardens and nurseries, and in flood plains in river estuaries.
and psilocin
(0.05 mg per gram dry weight and 1.4 mg per gram psilocin) were detected by Beug and Bigwood
Psilocybin mushroom
Psilocybin mushrooms are fungi that contain the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin. There are multiple colloquial terms for psilocybin mushrooms, the most common being shrooms or magic mushrooms....
of the Agaricales
Agaricales
The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms , or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13000 described species, along with five extinct genera known only from the fossil record...
family having psilocybin
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...
as main active compounds. First documented in 1980 in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, it is relatively uncommon and can be distinguished from other closely related species by its smaller spores and forking cheilocystidia.
Psilocybe cyanescens
Psilocybe cyanescens
Psilocybe cyanescens is a species of potent psychedelic mushroom. The main compounds responsible for its psychedelic effects are psilocybin and psilocin. It belongs to the family Strophariaceae...
also has forking cheilocystidia, but less often than Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa. Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa is also distinguished from Psilocybe cyanescens by an absence of pleurocystidia .
The name of this species refers to the fibrils on the stipe that turn bluish in age, or when handled.
This species is closely related to Psilocybe subfimetaria.
Description
Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa has a farinaceous smell and taste.Pileus
The 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...
is 1.4–3.5 cm in diameter and conic to convex to broadly convex then becoming flat in age. It is not usually umbonate. The pileus is deep chestnut brown and hygrophanous
Hygrophanous
The 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....
, fading to yellowish brown or grayish white when dry. The surface is viscid when moist from the separable gelatinous pellicle
Pellicle (biology)
The pellicle is a thin layer supporting the cell membrane in various protozoa, protecting them and allowing them to retain their shape, especially during locomotion, allowing the organism to be more hydrodynamic. They vary from flexible and elastic to rigid. Although stiff, the pellicle is...
.
Gills
The gills are adnate to adnexed to slightly subdecurrent in age. It is light grayish, becoming purplish brown with age while the edges remain whitish.Spores
Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa sporeSpore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are purplish brown in deposit, subellipsoid in shape, and (9)9.5–11(12) x (5.5)6–6.6(7) µm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
.
Stipe
The 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...
is 3–8 cm long and 0.5 cm thick. It has an equal structure only enlarging near the base. The stipe is striate, pallid to yellow brown with fine fibrils that stain blue when handled. The stipe has a cortina that sometimes leaves a fragile annular zone. White rhizomorph
Mycelial cord
Mycelial cords are linear aggregations of parallel-oriented hyphae. The mature cords are composed of wide, empty vessel hyphae surrounded by narrower sheathing hyphae...
s are at the base. The flesh is brownish and bruises bluish to indigo-black.
Microscopic features
Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa basidiaBasidium
thumb|right|500px|Schematic showing a basidiomycete mushroom, gill structure, and spore-bearing basidia on the gill margins.A basidium is a microscopic, spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main...
each produce four spores, and rarely only two spores. The cheilocystidia are fusiform to lanceolate and 22–33 x 5.5–7 µm, with an elongated, forking neck and are 1–1.5 µm thick at its apex. Pleurocystidia are absent in Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa.
Habitat and formation
Psilocybe cyanofibrillosa is found growing scattered to gregarious, from September to December from Northern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to British Columbia, Canada. It is found in soils enriched with deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
wood debris, among bush lupin
Lupin
Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
es, in Alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
and Willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
wood chips and bark mulch, Fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
sawdust, in coastal regions, in rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
gardens and nurseries, and in flood plains in river estuaries.
Chemistry
Both psilocybinPsilocybin
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...
(0.05 mg per gram dry weight and 1.4 mg per gram psilocin) were detected by Beug and Bigwood