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Psilocybe cubensis
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Psilocybe cubensis is a species of psychedelic mushroom whose principle active compounds are psilocybin and psilocin. Commonly called "Gold Caps" (or "Golden Teacher" in the Netherlands), it belongs to the Strophariaceae family of fungi and was previously known as Stropharia cubensis.
name Psilocybe is derived from the Greek roots psilos and kubê (??ß?) and translates as "bald head".
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Encyclopedia
Psilocybe cubensis is a species of psychedelic mushroom whose principle active compounds are psilocybin and psilocin. Commonly called "Gold Caps" (or "Golden Teacher" in the Netherlands), it belongs to the Strophariaceae family of fungi and was previously known as Stropharia cubensis.
Etymology and history
The name Psilocybe is derived from the Greek roots psilos and kubê (??ß?) and translates as "bald head". Cubensis means "coming from Cuba", Cuba being the type locality published by Earle.
- 1904 First described as Stropharia cubensis by F.S. Earle in Cuba
- 1907 Identified as Naematoloma caerulescens in Tonkin by N. Patouillard.
- 1941 Identified as Stropharia cyanescens by W.A. Murrill in Florida.
These synonyms were later assigned to the species Psilocybe cubensis.
Description
- Pileus: 2 — 8 cm, Conic to convex, becoming broadly convex to plane in age, may retain a slight umbo, margin even, reddish-cinnamon brown when young becoming golden brown in age, viscid when moist, hygrophanous, glabrous, sometimes with white universal veil remnants decorating the cap, more or less smooth. Flesh whitish, bruising blue in age or where injured.
- Gills: Adnate to adnexed to sometimes seceding attachment, close, narrow to slightly wider towards the center, at first pallid to grey, becoming dark purplish to blackish in age, somewhat mottled, edges remaining whitish.
- Spore Print: Blackish violet.
- Stipe: 4 — 15 cm long, .5 — 1.5 cm thick, white to yellowish in age, hollow or somewhat stuffed, the well developed veil leaves a persistent white membranous annulus whos surface usually becomes concolorous with the gills because of falling spores, bruising blue or bluish-green when injured.
- Taste: Farinaceous
- Odor: Farinaceous
- Microscopic features: Spores 11.5 — 17 x 8 — 11 µm, subellipsoid, basidia 4-spored but sometimes 2- or 3-, pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia present.
It is in the section Cubensae, other mushrooms of this section include Psilocybe subcubensis.
Habitat and distribution
Psilocybe cubensis is a coprophilic fungus, it is found growing gregariously, rarely solitary, it often colonizes the dung of large herbivores, most notably cows and other grazing mammals. It prefers humid grasslands and has been found in tropical and subtropical environments. It is found in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guadalupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Peru, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and Fiji. In the US, it is sometimes found growing wild in the South, generally below the 35th parallel in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas.
Entheogenic use
Psilocybe cubensis Is probably the most widely known of the psilocybin containing mushrooms used.
Its major psychoactive compounds are:
The concentrations of psilocin and psilocybin, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, were determined to be in the range of 0.14–0.42%/0.37–1.30% (dry weight) in the whole mushroom, 0.17–0.78%/0.44–1.35% in the cap and 0.09–0.30%/0.05–1.27% in the stem, respectively.
Individual brain chemistry and psychological predisposition play a significant role in determining appropriate doses. For a modest psychedelic effect, a minimum of one gram of dried Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms is ingested orally. 0.25–1 gram is usually sufficient to produce a mild effect, 1–2.5 grams usually provides a moderate effect. 2.5 grams and higher usually produces strong effects. For most people, 3.5 dried grams (1/8 oz) would be considered a high dose and may produce an intense experience; although, typically this is considered a standard dose. For many individuals doses above 3 grams may be overwhelming. For a few rare people, doses as small as 0.25 grams can produce full-blown effects normally associated with very high doses. For most people, however, that dose level would result in virtually no effects. Due to factors such as age and storage method, the psilocybin content of a given sample of mushrooms will vary. Therefore, some users prefer to use a formula or dosage calculator to tailor the dosage to the level they wish to experience.
Effects usually start after approximately 20–60 minutes (depending on method of ingestion and stomach contents) and may last from four to ten hours, depending on dosage. Visual distortions often occur, including walls that seem to breathe, a vivid enhancement of colors and the animation of organic shapes. At higher doses, experiences tend to be less social and more entheogenic, often intense and spiritual in nature.
It is nearly impossible to overdose on psilocybin mushrooms since one would have to consume several dozen pounds of fresh mushrooms . Nevertheless, the effects of very high doses can be overwhelming. Depending on the particular strain, growth method, and age at harvest, Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms can come in rather different sizes. It is recommended that one weigh the actual mushrooms, as opposed to simply counting them. People taking MAOIs need to be careful, as psilocybin and psilocin are metabolized by the enzyme monoamine oxidase. A MAOI reduces the body's ability to handle the mushrooms (roughly doubling their potency), and can lead to an unpleasant, prolonged, or dangerously strong experience.
Legality
It is illegal in many countries to possess psilocybin-containing mushrooms or mycelium (which can contain psychoactive substances at certain stages). However, it is legal in most places to own and sell the spores of these mushrooms. In the United States only the psychoactive compounds (see above) are scheduled under federal law. The spores do not contain either, however, possession of spores is prohibited by state law in Idaho and Georgia; while California doesn't prohibit their possession, they do have a law specifically preventing possession with intent to produce psilocybin mushrooms.
Cultivation
Personal-scale cultivation of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms ranges from the relatively simple and small-scale PF Tek and other "cake" methods, that produce a limited amount of mushrooms, to advanced techniques utilizing methods of professional mushroom cultivators, such as Paul Stamets. These advanced methods require a greater investment of time, money, and knowledge, but reward the diligent cultivator with far larger and much more consistent harvests. Extreme caution is suggested if one is seeking to find psilocybin mushrooms in the wild; there are many mushrooms that look similar to Psilocybe cubensis that are actually poisonous.
External links
- Detailed information about Psilocybe mushrooms including identification, cultivation and spores, psychedelic images, trip reports, a dosage calculator and an active community.
- Web forums dedicated to information/cultivation of Psilocybe cubensis Mushrooms.
- Studies in ethnomycology including the contributions of Maria Sabina, Dr. Albert Hofmann and Dr. Gaston Guzman.
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- Psilocybe cubensis growing techniques.
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Further reading
- Guzman, G. The Genus Psilocybe: A Systematic Revision of the Known Species Including the History, Distribution and Chemistry of the Hallucinogenic Species. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia Heft 74. J. Cramer, Vaduz, Germany (1983) [now out of print].
- Guzman, G. "Supplement to the genus Psilocybe." Bibliotheca Mycologica 159: 91-141 (1995).
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