| Boletus manicus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Boletales |
| Family: | Boletaceae |
| Genus: | Boletus |
| Species: | B. manicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Boletus manicus | |
Boletus manicus | |
|---|---|
 | Pores on hymenium |
 | Cap is convex |
 | Hymenium is adnate |
 | Stipe is bare |
 | Ecology is mycorrhizal |
 | Edibility is psychoactive |
Boletus manicus is a species of fungus in the family Boletaceae of mushrooms. Found in the Wahgi valley Papua New Guinea, it was first described by French mycologist Roger Heim in 1963. [1] Heim singled out this mushroom largely because of its similar appearance to Rubroboletus satanas . [2] In the Wahgi language it is called gegwantsyi ngimbl. The word ngimbl in the south Wahgi dialect means pain, which describes the intense bitterness of the mushroom.
It has been reported that B. manicus may be a hallucinogenic mushroom. [3] [4] However, this topic is controversial, and available findings are mixed. [4] B. manicus is known to contain trace amounts of three unidentified indolic compounds. [3] [4] These were detected by Albert Hofmann, but the quantities were too low to allow for chemical analysis and identification. [3] [5] The indolic compounds would need to be extremely potent, on par with LSD, to account for the claimed hallucinogenic effects of B. manicus. [3] [4] [5] The hypothesis that these indolic compounds are indeed highly potent hallucinogens has been treated both seriously, for instance by Heim, and critiqued and discounted, for instance by Jonathan Ott. [3] [4] Other boletes besides B. manicus have also been reported to be hallucinogenic mushrooms, such as boletes in the Yunnan province in China. [6] [5] [7]
