
The high usually begins somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes after consumption and lasts anywhere from six to 15 hours, though more than eight hours is unusual. The effects of eating all these mushrooms is therefore roughly similar except that because potency varies, dosing varies dramatically. Wavy-cap has the same psychoactive components as other Psilocybes-largely and most famously psilocybin. It is vitally important to positively identify every single specimen if gathering for consumption.

The psychoactive and the deadly can, in fact, grow right next to each other, appearing to belong to the same flush. The habitat is the same, or at least overlapping, since both eat wood. There are doubtless LBMs that are toxic but not deadly as well.ĭeadly Galerina does not have the characteristic waves of the wavy-cap, but it is the same color-the base of the stem is black, not blue, but it’s easy for wishful thinking on the part of a psychonaut to make the black look blue. People who do usually die, though prompt medical attention does save some. The worst possible mistake would be to accidentally eat a Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata) or one of the other LBMs that contain the same toxin. Fortunately for those who want mushrooms that do more than taste good, these have white spore-prints. Several species of honey mushroom (Like Armillaria Mellea) and Enokitake (Flammulina velutipes) are well-known edibles in the LBM group. Culinary MushroomsĬulinary mushrooms are those people eat just for the taste. Psychoactive species in several other genera, such as Panaeolus, are also fairly close look-alikes, but can be differentiated with close attention to detail. While these are all relatively safe psychoactive species, it is important to know which is which because potency varies-sometimes dramatically. Younger examples of all of these species may look very much alike, though. Most also have other, more subtle differences, especially in older specimens. These either do not share the same habitat or lack the distinctive wavy margin that most wavy-caps develop. The closest look-alikes to wavy-cap are its fellow Psilocybes. The group includes most psychoactive species, a number of interesting culinary species, and a few toxic, even deadly-toxic species. Wavy-cap is a “LBM,” or little brown mushroom, a large group of mostly-unrelated species that are very difficult to tell apart without careful attention to the right details. The latter has reddish-brown spores, rather than purple-brown. If gathering for consumption, it’s critical to check the spore print color, since this species shares its habitat with its aptly-named look-alike, The Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata). The wavy-margined cap is a distinctive feature, as is the mushroom’s ability to stain blue. Common in Europe, though probably not native there. Range: In North America, most common in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, though sometimes present in the east as well. Habitat: Eats and fruits from woody debris, leaf litter, and wood chips such as those used in landscaping. Spore color: Purple-gray to purple-brown. After the veil tears, its remnants form a subtle ring zone on the stem. Stem: Longish, thin, sometimes thicker at the base, smooth, white, bruises blue. In very young specimens, the gills are covered by a webby sheet of tissue called a veil. Gills: Brownish when young, becoming darker with age.

Smooth, sticky when wet, older specimens are brittle. Brown when young, becoming yellowish or buff with age. So, Blue Meanie (Panaeolus cyanescens), Wavy-Cap (Psilocybe cyanescens), and Psilocybe cubensis “Blue Meanie” are all distinctly different species, and while all do contain psilocybin, their potency varies dramatically so dosing is different.Ĭap: Small to medium-sized, becoming almost flat with age except for the usually wavy margins. “Blue meanie” is not just the common name of Panaeolus cyanescens, it’s also the name of a certain cultivated variety of Psilocybe cubensis, grown and sold for its psychoactive properties. Both are also psychoactive, but they are very different species. “Cyanescens” means “becoming blue,” and it is the species epithet for both the wavy-cap, Psilocybe cyanescens, and The Blue Meanie, Panaeolus cyanescens. There are lots of people named John who have nothing to do with each other.
#Psilocybe cyanescens spore print color full
It’s a bit like a first name that way while relatively few people share the same full name-say, John Rawlings-some first names belong to lots of people. Although every two-part scientific name is unique, the second part, the species epithet, can apply to multiple unrelated species. The wavy-cap’s scientific name, Psilocybe cyanescens, is a potential source of confusion.
