Psilocybe Stuntzil Mushrooms

Description

Description

This hygrophanous cap is typically dark chestnut brown but is significantly paler towards its center. Its color fades to a pale yellowish brown or pale yellow when dry. It is viscid or sticky when moist and stains greenish blue when injured or as it grows older. This cap is roughly 1cm to 2cm in diameter.

Underneath the cap are the gills which are moderately broad and yellowish brown in young specimen but progresses to violet brown to blackish violet as it gets older. The gills are also lined with whitish edges.

The stem, also known as the stipe, isn’t too long. It can only reach 6.5cm in height and can only be as thick as 4mm. It’s slightly enlarged at the base for more structural support. Usually, this stem is flexible and slightly fibrillose, dry, and hollow with white or brownish fibers.

Psilocybe stuntzii’s spores are dark violet brown. Under a microscope, they may appear subrhomboid in shape and subellipsoid from the side. The taste and odor of Psilocybe stuntzii is strongly starch-like, highly comparable to fresh, ground flour.

Psilocybe Stuntzii Similar Species

Psilocybe stuntzii shares many similar features with the Galerina marginata which has led to many people to mistakenly ingest the poisonous shroom expecting a psychedelic experience only to end up with a   very different, dangerous experience.

Galerina marginata contains amatoxins which accumulate in the liver. As the kidney tries to filter the toxins, the tubules become damaged which lead to kidney failure. Upon ingestion, it causes severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting which last for six to nine hours. As the toxins stay in the body for several days, it results to gastric bleeding, coma, and even death.

Because of these dangers, it’s necessary to be cautious when hunting for Psilocybe stuntzii and not mistakenly ingest its toxic doppelganger, the Galerina marginata.

One way to distinguish this psychoactive shroom from the poisonous variety is by checking for the blue-violet stain that appears on the Psilocybe stuntzii when it is injured or handled. This discoloration does not occur in Galerina marginata because the latter doesn’t contain any psilocybin.