Psilocybe yungensis

Last updated

Psilocybe yungensis
Psilocybe.yungensis.Jalisco.jpg
Found in Jalisco, Mexico
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Hymenogastraceae
Genus: Psilocybe
Species:
P. yungensis
Binomial name
Psilocybe yungensis
Singer & A.H.Sm. (1958)
Synonyms [1] [2] [3]

Psilocybe yungensis var. diconicaA.H.Smith (1958)
Psilocybe acutissima Heim (1959)
Psilocybe chiapanensisGuzman (1995)
Psilocybe isauriSinger (1959)
Psilocybe subyungensisGuzman (1978)

Contents

Psilocybe yungensis
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Conical cap icon.svgCampanulate cap icon.svg Cap is conical or campanulate
Adnate gills icon2.svgAdnexed gills icon2.svg Hymenium is adnate or adnexed
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Transparent spore print icon.svg
 Spore print is purple-brown
Saprotrophic fungus.svgEcology is saprotrophic
Mycomorphbox Psychoactive.pngEdibility is psychoactive

Psilocybe yungensis is a species of psychedelic mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. In North America, it is found in northeast, central and southeastern Mexico. In South America, it has been recorded from Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador. It is also known from the Caribbean island Martinique, and China. The mushroom grows in clusters or groups on rotting wood. The fruit bodies have conical to bell-shaped reddish- to orangish-brown caps that are up to 2.5 cm (1.0 in) in diameter, set atop slender stems 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2.0 in) long. The mushrooms stain blue when bruised, indicative of the presence of the compound psilocybin. Psilocybe yungensis is used by Mazatec Indians in the Mexican State of Oaxaca for entheogenic purposes.

Taxonomy and classification

The species was described as new to science by mycologists Rolf Singer and Alexander H. Smith, based on specimens collected in Nor Yungas Province, Bolivia, on the road to La Paz to Coroico. [4] They published a short description in Latin in a 1958 Mycologia publication, [5] followed by a more detailed description in English later that year. [6] According to Psilocybe specialist Gastón Guzmán, the species Psilocybe acutissima (described by Roger Heim in 1959 [7] ), and Psilocybe isauri (described by Singer in 1959 [8] ) are synonyms, as both the macroscopic and microscopic features are the same in the type material of all three. [2] Singer considered P. isauri a species distinct from P. yungensis because of differences in the hairiness of the stem surface. Smith named the variety P. yungensis var. diconica for specimens he found with conical, rather than obconical (the form of an inverted cone) papilla. Similarly, the main distinguishing feature that Heim ascribed to P. acutissima was a papillate cap (somewhat resembling the shape of a female human breast). Later studies showed that these morphological variations did not warrant individual recognition, because of the variable nature of these characteristics, and the existence of intermediate forms. [4]

Guzmán places P. yungensis in the section Cordisporae, a grouping of Psilocybe species characterized primarily by having rhomboid spores less than 8  micrometers long. [9] The specific epithet yungensis refers to the name of the type locality. [4] The natives of Huautla de Jiménez and Mixe natives call P. yungensis a hongo adivinador ("divinatory mushroom"), hong que adormece ("soporific mushroom"), or hongo genio ("genius mushroom"). [10]

Description

Caps range in shape from conical to bell-shaped, and have a prominent umbo. Stems are densely covered with whitish fibrils pressed flat against the surface. Psilocybe yungensis 163986.jpg
Caps range in shape from conical to bell-shaped, and have a prominent umbo. Stems are densely covered with whitish fibrils pressed flat against the surface.

The P. yungensis fruit bodies have caps that are conical to bell-shaped in maturity, and reach a diameter of up to 2.5 cm (1.0 in). The cap surface is smooth and sticky, and, in moist specimens, has faint radial striations (grooves) that extend almost to the margin. The color of fresh caps ranges from dark reddish-brown to rusty brown to orangish-brown. Additionally, the cap is hygrophanous, meaning it will change color depending on its state of hydration; a dry cap fades to become dull yellowish-brown or the color of "dingy straw". The cap frequently has a prominent umbo. [10]

The gill attachment ranges from adnate (broadly attached to the stem) to adnexed (narrowly attached). The spacing of the narrow gills is close to crowded, and the gill color is initially dull gray before maturing spores cause the color to change to purplish-brown. The stem is 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2.0 in) long and 1.5 to 2.5 mm (0.06 to 0.10 in) thick, and more or less equal in width throughout its length or slightly larger near the base. The hollow, brittle, stem is pale brown on the upper part, and reddish-brown near the bottom. The stem is densely covered with whitish fibrils that are pressed flat against the surface; the fibrils slough off in maturity to leave a smooth surface. [4] The mushroom has a cortinate partial veil (resembling the webby cortina produced by species of Cortinarius ) but it does not last for long; it occasionally leaves behind sparse remnants of tissue hanging on the cap margin and the upper part of the stem. No ring remains on the stem after the veil disappears. All parts of the mushroom will stain blue when injured; these stains will blacken as the mushroom dries. [10]

Psilocybe yungensis 171324.jpg
Spores and translucent cheilocystidia
Psilocybe yungensis 171250.jpg
Cap cuticle, cap tissue, and gill tissue at 100x magnification

The spore print is dark purplish-brown. Spores range in shape from roughly rhomboid to roughly elliptical, and typically have dimensions of 5–6 by 4–6  μm. [10] They are thick-walled and have a large germ pore. The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are club-shaped to swollen, hyaline, usually four-spored (although rarely two- or three-spored forms are present), and measure 13–19 by 4.4–6.6 μm. [4] The pleurocystidia (cystidia on the gill face) are ventricose (swollen) near the base and often mucronate (ending abruptly in a short sharp point) at the apex, and measure 14–25 by 4.4–10.5 μm. The cheilocystidia (cystidia on the gill edge) are variable in shape, and measure 14–40 by 4.4–7.7 μm. [10] Pleurocystidia are relatively sparse, while cheilocystidia are abundant. Clamp connections are present in the hyphae. The application of a drop of potassium hydroxide solution turns both the cap and the stem from brown to blackish. [4]

Similar species

The species Psilocybe subyungensis , known only from Venezuela, is roughly similar in form, although somewhat smaller, with a cap width of up to 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter and stem lengths of up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in). In addition to differences in distribution, it can be clearly distinguished from P. yungensis by the larger cystidia: the pleurocystidia measure 8.8–11 by 3.8–5.5 μm, and the cheilocystidia 16.5–25 by 7.7–12 μm. [11] Stamets notes that "Few species resemble P. yungensis", while Michael Beug considers the orangish-brown cap color unusual for a Psilocybe, and compares it to Conocybe . [12]

Habitat and distribution

Psilocybe yungensis is a saprobic species, and contributes to the degradation of organic matter deposited in soils and nutrient cycling in forests where it grows. [13] It typically grows in clusters or groups on rotting wood (rarely on humus); it is less frequently found growing solitarily. It is often reported from coffee plantations, subtropical, or cloud forests, especially those occurring at elevations between 1,000 and 2,000 m (3,300 and 6,600 ft). The species occurs in northeast, central and southeastern Mexico, and has been recorded from several locations in the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, Tamaulipas and Veracruz. [4] [14] It is also known from Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador, [10] as well as the Caribbean island Martinique. [2] In 2009, it was reported from China. [15] In Mexico and Colombia, the fungus usually fruits between June and July; in Bolivia, it was recorded appearing during January. [4]

Uses

The fruit bodies of Psilocybe yungensis are used for entheogenic, or spiritual, ritualistic purposes by the Mazatec Indians in the Mexican State of Oaxaca. [16] Some authorities have suggested that P. yungensis is the "tree fungus" reported by Jesuit missionaries of the 17th and 18th centuries, a reddish mushroom that was apparently the source of an intoxicating beverage used by the Yurimagua Indians of Amazonian Peru. There is, however, no established record of hallucinogenic mushroom use in that area, [17] [18] and it is possible that the mushroom could instead be a psychedelic species of the wood-dwelling genus Gymnopilus . [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Psilocybe semilanceata</i> Species of fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae, native to Europe

Psilocybe semilanceata, commonly known as the liberty cap, is a species of fungus which produces the psychoactive compounds psilocybin, psilocin and baeocystin. It is both one of the most widely distributed psilocybin mushrooms in nature, and one of the most potent. The mushrooms have a distinctive conical to bell-shaped cap, up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter, with a small nipple-like protrusion on the top. They are yellow to brown, covered with radial grooves when moist, and fade to a lighter color as they mature. Their stipes tend to be slender and long, and the same color or slightly lighter than the cap. The gill attachment to the stipe is adnexed, and they are initially cream-colored before tinting purple to black as the spores mature. The spores are dark purplish-brown en masse, ellipsoid in shape, and measure 10.5–15 by 6.5–8.5 micrometres.

<i>Psilocybe tampanensis</i> Psychedelic mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae

Psilocybe tampanensis is a very rare psychedelic mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. Originally collected in the wild in a sandy meadow near Tampa, Florida, in 1977, the fungus would not be found in Florida again until 44 years later. The original Florida specimen was cloned, and descendants remain in wide circulation. The fruit bodies (mushrooms) produced by the fungus are yellowish-brown in color with convex to conic caps up to 2.4 cm (0.9 in) in diameter atop a thin stem up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. Psilocybe tampanensis forms psychoactive truffle-like sclerotia that are known and sold under the nickname "philosopher's stones". The fruit bodies and sclerotia are consumed by some for recreational or entheogenic purposes. In nature, sclerotia are produced by the fungus as a rare form of protection from wildfires and other natural disasters.

<i>Psilocybe baeocystis</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe baeocystis is a psilocybin mushroom of the family Hymenogastraceae. It contains the hallucinogenic compounds psilocybin, psilocin and baeocystin. The species is commonly known by various names such as bottle caps, knobby tops, blue bells, olive caps.

<i>Gymnopilus luteofolius</i> Species of fungus

Gymnopilus luteofolius, known as the yellow-gilled gymnopilus, is a large and widely distributed mushroom that grows in dense clusters on dead hardwoods and conifers. It grows in late July to November in the east and in the winter on the west coast of North America. It has a rusty orange spore print and a bitter taste.

<i>Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata is a psilocybin mushroom, having psilocybin and/or psilocin as main active compounds. It is closely related to P. subaeruginascens from Java, P. septentrionalis from Japan, and P. wayanadensis from India. This mushroom was first documented by Richard V. Gaines in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in June 2003. Although it is sometimes confused with Psilocybe caerulipes, it can be distinguished by its rhomboid spores, larger stature, earlier fruiting season and membranous annulus.

<i>Psilocybe caerulipes</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe caerulipes, commonly known as blue-foot, is a rare psilocybin mushroom of the family Hymenogastraceae, having psilocybin and psilocin as main active compounds. An older synonym is Agaricus caerulipes.

<i>Psilocybe guilartensis</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe guilartensis is a psilocybin mushroom which has psilocybin and psilocin as main active compounds. It is common in Puerto Rico.

<i>Psilocybe caerulescens</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe caerulescens, also known as landslide mushroom, is a psilocybin mushroom having psilocybin and psilocin as main active compounds. Along with Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe aztecorum, it is one of the mushrooms likely to have been used by the Aztecs and is currently used by Mazatec shamans for its entheogenic properties.

<i>Psilocybe mescaleroensis</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe mescaleroensis is a psychedelic mushroom which has psilocybin and psilocin as main active compounds. This mushroom is closely related to Psilocybe hopii and Psilocybe cyanescens. It was brought to scientific attention by Lee Walstad.

Psilocybe plutonia is a small psilocybin mushroom of the family Hymenogastraceae, believed to contain psilocybin and psilocin. It was first documented from Cuba. An older synonym is Agaricus plutonia.

<i>Mythicomyces</i> Genus of fungi

Mythicomyces is a fungal genus in the family Mythicomycetaceae. A monotypic genus, it contains the single species Mythicomyces corneipes, first described by Elias Fries in 1861. The fungus produces fruit bodies with shiny yellowish-orange to tawny caps that are 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) in diameter. These are supported by stems measuring 2–5.7 cm (0.8–2.2 in) long and 1–2 mm thick. A rare to uncommon species, it is found in northern temperate regions of North America and Europe, where it typically fruits in groups, in wet areas of coniferous forests. There are several species with which M. corneipes might be confused due to a comparable appearance or similar range and habitat, but microscopic characteristics can be used to reliably distinguish between them.

Psilocybe naematoliformis, is a species of fungus in the mushroom family Hymenogastraceae. It is a psilocybin mushroom, having psilocybin and psilocin as the main active hallucinogenic compounds.

<i>Psilocybe aztecorum</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe aztecorum is a species of psilocybin mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. Known from Arizona, Colorado, central Mexico, India and Costa Rica, the fungus grows on decomposing woody debris and is found in mountainous areas at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 m, typically in meadows or open, grassy conifer forests. The mushrooms have convex to bell-shaped caps 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in) in diameter, atop slender cylindrical stems that are up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long. The color of the caps changes with variations in hydration, ranging from dark chestnut brown to straw yellow or whitish when dry. The base of the stem is densely covered with conspicuous white rhizomorphs, a characteristic uncommon amongst Psilocybe species.

<i>Psilocybe hoogshagenii</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe hoogshagenii is a species of psilocybin mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. The mushroom has a brownish conical or bell-shaped cap up to 3 cm (1.2 in) wide that has an extended papilla up to 4 mm long. The stem is slender and 5 to 9 cm long. The variety P. hoogshagenii var. convexa lacks the long papilla.

<i>Psilocybe makarorae</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe makarorae is a species of psilocybin mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. Officially described as new to science in 1995, it is known only from New Zealand, where it grows on rotting wood and twigs of southern beeches. The fruit body (mushroom) has a brownish cap with lighter coloured margins, measuring up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide. The cap shape is either conical, bell-shaped, but as the mushroom grows, it expands to become convex, and it features a prominent umbo. Although the whitish stem does not form a true ring, it retains remnants of the partial veil that covers and protects the gills of young fruit bodies. P. makarorae mushrooms can be distinguished from the similar North American species Psilocybe caerulipes by microscopic characteristics such as the presence of cystidia on the gill faces (pleurocystidia), and cheilocystidia with more elongated necks. Based on the bluing reaction to injury, P. makarorae is presumed to contain the psychedelic compounds psilocybin and psilocin.

Psilocybe subcaerulipes is a species of fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae. It is in the section Zapotecorum of the genus Psilocybe, other members of this section include Psilocybe muliercula, Psilocybe angustipleurocystidiata, Psilocybe aucklandii, Psilocybe collybioides, Psilocybe kumaenorum, Psilocybe zapotecorum, Psilocybe pintonii, Psilocybe graveolens, Psilocybe moseri, Psilocybe zapotecoantillarum, Psilocybe zapotecocaribaea, and Psilocybe antioquiensis. It is endemic to Japan. Fruit bodies grow on the ground in woody debris, and typically stand 6 to 8 cm tall with caps that are 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter. They are chestnut brown, and stain blue if bruised or handled. The species is a psychoactive mushroom, and contains the hallucinogenic compounds psilocybin and psilocin. There have been reports of poisoning caused by the accidental consumption of this mushroom. It has been used in research, specifically, to test the effects of its consumption of marble-burying in mice, an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Psilocybe tasmaniana is a species of coprophilous agaric fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae. It was described by Gastón Guzmán and Roy Watling in 1978 as a small tawny orange mushroom that grows on dung, with a slight blueing reaction to damage, known only from Tasmania and southeastern Australia. It was likened to Psilocybe subaeruginosa although characteristics, appearance, and the association with dung were not typical for that species. As a blueing member of the genus Psilocybe it contains the psychoactive compounds psilocin and psilocybin.

<i>Psilocybe pelliculosa</i> Species of fungus

Psilocybe pelliculosa is a species of fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae. The fruit bodies, or mushrooms, have a conical brownish cap up to 2 cm in diameter atop a slender stem up to 8 cm long. It has a white partial veil that does not leave a ring on the stem. American mycologist Alexander H. Smith first described the species in 1937 as a member of the genus known today as Psathyrella; it was transferred to Psilocybe by Rolf Singer in 1958.

<i>Psilocybe neoxalapensis</i> Species of mushroom

Psilocybe neoxalapensis is a species of psilocybin mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. Found in Veracruz, Mexico, it was originally described in 2005 under the name Psilocybe novoxalapensis, but this naming was later determined to be invalid, and it was renamed P. neoxalapensis in 2009. It is in the Psilocybe fagicola complex with Psilocybe fagicola, Psilocybe oaxacana, Psilocybe banderillensis, Psilocybe columbiana, Psilocybe keralensis, Psilocybe herrerae, and Psilocybe teofiloi.

Psilocybe washingtonensis is a species of psilocybin mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. It is similar in appearance to Psilocybe pelliculosa and P. silvatica, and a microscope is needed to reliably distinguish between them.

References

  1. ↑ Guzmán G (1978). "Further investigations of the Mexican hallucinogenic mushrooms with descriptions of new taxa and critical observations on additional taxa". Nova Hedwigia. 29: 625–44.
  2. 1 2 3 Guzmán G, Allen JW, Gartz J (2000). "A worldwide geographical distribution of the neurotropic fungi, an analysis and discussion" (PDF). Annali del Museo Civico di Rovereto: Sezione Archeologia, Storia, Scienze Naturali. 14: 189–280.
  3. ↑ Ramírez-Cruz, Virginia; Guzmán, Gastón; Guzmán-Dávalos, Laura (2013). "Type studies of Psilocybe sensu lato (Strophariaceae, Agaricales)". Sydowia. 65: 277–319.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Guzmán (1983), pp. 150–2.
  5. ↑ Singer R, Smith AH (1958). "New species of Psilocybe". Mycologia. 50 (1): 141–2. doi:10.2307/3756045. JSTOR   3756045.
  6. ↑ Singer R, Smith AH (1958). "Mycological investigations on teonanácatl, the Mexican hallucinogenic mushroom. Part II. A taxonomic monograph of Psilocybe, section Caerulescentes". Mycologia. 50 (2): 262–303. doi:10.2307/3756197. JSTOR   3756197.
  7. ↑ Heim R. (1959). Revue Mycologie (in French). 24 (1): 106.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ↑ Singer R. (1958). "Fungi Mexicani, series secunda – Agaricales". Sydowia. 12 (1–6): 221–43.
  9. ↑ Guzmán (1983), p. 106.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stamets P. (1996). Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. pp. 168–9. ISBN   978-0-89815-839-7.
  11. ↑ Guzmán G. (1978). "The species of Psilocybe known from Central and South America". Mycotaxon. 7 (2): 225–55 (see p. 249).
  12. ↑ Beug M. (2011). "The genus Psilocybe in North America" (PDF). Fungi Magazine. 4 (3): 6–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-31.
  13. ↑ Guzmán (1983), p. 22.
  14. ↑ Guzmán G. (1988). "Hallucinogenic mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe new-record in Mexico and analysis of the distribution of the known species". Revista Mexicana de Micologia (in Spanish). 4: 255–66. ISSN   0187-3180.
  15. ↑ Bau T. (2009). "Strophariaceae of China. (IV). Psilocybe". Journal of Fungal Research (in Chinese). 7 (1): 14–36. ISSN   1672-3538.
  16. ↑ Guzmán G. (2008). "Hallucinogenic mushrooms in Mexico: an overview". Economic Botany. 62 (3): 404–12. Bibcode:2008EcBot..62..404G. doi:10.1007/s12231-008-9033-8. S2CID   22085876.
  17. ↑ Schultes RE. (1966). "The search for new natural hallucinogens" (PDF). Lloydia. 29 (4): 293–308.
  18. ↑ Schultes RE. (1969). "Hallucinogens of plant origin". Science. 163 (3864): 245–54. Bibcode:1969Sci...163..245E. doi:10.1126/science.163.3864.245. JSTOR   1725088. PMID   4883616.
  19. ↑ Gartz J. (1997). Magic Mushrooms Around the World. A Scientific Journey Across Cultures and Time. Los Angeles, California: LIS Publishers. p. 53. ISBN   978-0-9653399-0-2.

Cited text

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.