![]() 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. 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. ![]() Pouring the slurry on your lawn won’t yield any results.The wavy-cap’s scientific name, Psilocybe cyanescens, is a potential source of confusion. Make sure you research the species that you’re trying to grow and ensure that you pour the slurry it in a suitable environment.įor example, some species like chanterelles are “mycorrhizal” meaning that they need to grow in symbiosis with other trees. Once the spores are in, let this bucket sit for a day or two, and then pour outside in a suitable area. The sugar serves as nutrition to encourage mycelium to grow, and the salt helps to minimize bacterial growth. If you still have the actual fruiting body, you can just shred it and add it to the bucket as well. This is done by scraping the spores from a spore print into a bucket of fresh non-chlorinated water, and adding some sugar and a pinch of salt. If you want to enjoy them, you’ll have to find them growing in the wild.īut… there is a way to encourage the growth of these mushrooms by inoculating a suitable area with a “spore slurry”. Some species like Chanterelles, Boletes, and Morels have, for the most part, evaded all attempts at commercial cultivation. Since most people don’t have a spare microscope laying around, it’s generally not a great characteristic for casual identification. Spores can all sorts of shapes- oval, square, circular- as well as being vastly different sizes. This is usually done by making the spore print on a microscope slide. Other than color, most spore characteristics are not visible to the naked eye and need to be identified by looking at the spores under a microscope. ![]() Amanita Species (Death Cap, Fly Agaric) – Usually White.Button Mushrooms (Agaricus species) – Usually Brown.Here are some examples of different mushrooms and their spore colors: Also, if you are taking a spore from a species and you have no idea what to expect, consider grabbing a few fruits and making multiple spore prints on different colors of paper. Sometimes it will be quite obvious, like white or purple- but how are you supposed to tell the difference between rusty-brown and orange-brown? White and cream?Įverybody sees and interprets colors a little differently, so be sure to have alternate ways of identifying species. Identification guides will often be quite vague in the description of spore color. That being said, some discretion definitely needs to be used and spore color alone should never be used to identify a species for consumption. The color of a mushroom spore print can be a key identification factor for many species.
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