Scientific name
Psilocybe cyanscens
Description
The caps are hygrophanous, which means that their appearance varies according to how damp they are. When they are new, they are walnut brown, but they can eventually turn buff or yellow. When young, the caps are somewhat convex, but as they mature, they become wavy and uneven. When damaged, they become sticky when touched and bruise blue. Although the stems are white, they will become blue when touched. When they are extremely young, they have a partial covering that shields their gills, but this rapidly vanishes, occasionally leaving a ringed zone on the stem. The stems are fairly thin, becoming more club-like near the bottom. Underneath the cap, gills are adnate , maturing from pale brown to dark purple with lighter gill borders. Like the top, the gills can become blue when touched.
Habitat
Psilocybe cyanescens grow largely on wood chips, particularly in and around mulched plant gardens in urban locations. It may, however, grow on various lignin-rich substrates. Wavy caps mushroom is found primarily in the Pacific Northwest, spreading south to the Bay Area of San Francisco. It’s also found in New Zealand, Central Europe, Western Europe, and portions of West Asia.
Uses/Importance
Psilocybe cyanescens is a powerful psychedelic mushroom. Psilocybin and psilocin are the primary chemicals associated with their psychedelic effects. Psilocybe cyanescens have 30 to 60% more psilocybin on average than Psilocybe cubensis. When digested, psilocybin can mimic serotonin, resulting in an ecstatic high, introspective cognition, occasional synesthesia, and visual or audio phenomena. Wavy caps are known for delivering strong visuals because of their greater psilocybin concentration.
Although they contain psychotropic chemicals, they are all water-soluble, thus parboiling and draining the water and repeating several times prior makes the compounds inert and allows the mushroom to be swallowed. They’re pretty bitter and not worth it.
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