Psilocybe Subcubensis

Psilocybe subcubensis is an entheogenic species of mushroom in the Strophariaceae family. 

The magic mushroom contains the medicinal compounds psilocybin and psilocin. 
Psilocybe subcubensis was first described by Mexican mycologist Gaston Guzman. It is the pantropical sister species of Psilocybe cubensis. It is macroscopically identical to Psilocybe cubensis but has smaller spores.

Psilocybe Subaeruginosa

Psilocybe subaeruginosa is a psychedelic mushroom of Australasia, which has psilocybin and psilocin as its main active compounds. 

First described in 1927 by Australian mycologist John Burton Cleland, it was previously placed in the section Cyanescens. 
Cyanescens has since been deprecated as a section and so Psilocybe subaeruginosa now falls under the section Semilanceatae.
Studies of comparative morphology, isozyme analysis and mating compatibility approaches have shown that P. australiana, P. eucalypta and P. tasmaniana are synonyms of this species. 
However, further studies have rejected the proposed synonymy with P. tasmaniana based on differences in habitat and microscopic characters.

Psilocybe hispanica

Psilocybe hispanica is a species of fungus in the Strophariaceae family. It produces small brown mushrooms with conical to convex caps. 
Reported as new to science in 2000, it is only known from the Pyrenees mountain range in northern Spain and southwestern France, where it grows on horse dung in grass fields. The magic mushroom contains the psychoactive compound psilocybin. The possible depiction of this species in the 6,000-year-old Selva Pascuala rock art suggests that it might have been used in ancient religious rituals—the oldest evidence of such usage in prehistoric Europe.

Santa Claus: Famous Shaman

The history of the old man in red who comes bearing gifts. 
Santa Claus is only the latest of many figures that have come to be associated with bringing gifts on the night of December 25th. 

In Sicily it is an old woman named Strina who brings gifts at Christmas, continuing a tradition that began in the days of the Roman Empire. In fact, his story takes us back to the beginning of recorded history, when some other characters climbed up trees of a different kind, and returned with gifts for everyone. 
These were not toys or perfume or watches, but messages concerning the year to come, the turning of the seasons, or the fate of the world. These people were shamans, who performed the functions of priest, historian, and record keeper, scientist and magician. 

"So, why do people bring Pine trees into their houses at the Winter Solstice, placing brightly colored (Red and White) packages under their boughs, as gifts to show their love for each other and as representations of the love of God and the gift of his Sons life? It is because, underneath the Pine bough is the exact location where one would find this ‘Most Sacred' Substance, the Amanita muscaria, in the wild." -James Arthur. 

Siberian reindeer also enjoy eating amanita mushrooms and thus are often used as a lure by the deer-herding natives. Since one of the hallucinatory experiences often felt on psychedelic mushrooms is that of flying, Santa's flying reindeer most likely derive from this. 

The Sami have a custom of feeding fly agaric to their deer and collecting the urine to drink. The reindeer’s digestive system metabolises the more poisonous components of the toadstool, leaving urine with the hallucinogenic and psychotropic elements of the fungus intact. Drinking the urine gives a ‘high’ similar to taking LSD. 
Under the hallucinatory effects of the drink, the Sami thought their reindeer were flying through space, looking down on the world. The reindeers’ liking for the toadstool hallucinogens are such that they, in turn, have been known to eat the snow on which intoxicated humans have urinated, creating a reciprocating cycle. 

In summary, it seems quite possible that the traditional image of Father Christmas, described in Livingston’s poem and universalised by the Coca Cola Company during the 1930s, has its real origins in shamanistic rituals involving the red and white fly agaric toadstool. 


Santa isn't the only occult Magic Mushroom hero, so is the Easter Bunny, King Arthur of Camelot and many more.

Steve Jobs and psychedelic drugs

We know Magic truffles and shrooms have stimulated many creative minds to come up with brilliant ideas. Though Free Information Laws in the US, new material has been released by the Pentagon, about Steve Jobs. It wasn’t a secret that he was into recreational drugs in the past. But in these reports he made some impressive statements about his psychedelic use between 1972 and 1974. Jobs states it was a “positive life changing experience” and that he was “glad he went through that experience”. He took psychedelics when he was alone, and when he took with marijuana, it made him “relaxed and creative”, he stated. He credits getting high to stimulating his creativity.

Steve Jobs: “I’m glad I used psychedelics, it was a positive life changing experience for me” 

Magic truffle tea recipe

How to make Shamantar truffles tea:

Cut the Shamantar truffles into small pieces, you can crush them if you like. The active substance will get better in the water when you cut the magic truffles as small as possible. 
Make the water boil. The strength of the tea depends on more or less water. Remove the water from heat. The active substances in Shamantar truffles are broken down by too much heat, so it is important not to boil the water after the Shamantar truffles are added. 
Throw the Shamantar truffles in the boiled water and leave the tea 15-20 minutes. Strain the water, or pour it gently so that the remaining truffles don’t reach the final tea.  You can add some honey to sweeten the taste.

Sclerotia Atlantis

Psilocybe atlantis: Indigenous only to Fulton County, Georgia, Psilocybe Atlantis is another relative of the magic mushroom family and has a pleasant taste and smell.

This type of sclerotia has appeared on the market and is more potent than either Tampanesis or Mexicana. Exercise caution it’s surprisingly strong compared to the other types; similar to the difference between the old Cubensis mushrooms and the Hawaiian mushrooms.

Are the effects of sclerotia truffles similar to magic mushrooms?

Don’t take a huge dose under the mistaken impression that sclerotia truffles are a much weaker version of magic mushrooms! 

The only known active ingredients of magic mushrooms are psilocin and psilocybin, which are also contained in sclerotia. 
The psilocybin gets converted to psilocin before it enters the brain, so the difference in effects between any type of mushroom or sclerotia will depend purely on how much psilocin gets into your brain and the timescale over which this takes place. 
Some types of mushroom (such as the Hawaiian) are very strong and take effect very quickly. In terms of potency, sclerotia are more similar in effect to the Cubensis-type mushrooms previously sold as Mexicans, Columbians and so on. 

Sclerotia take effect noticeably more slowly than mushrooms, but at comparable doses the results are very similar. 
Expectation can play a large part, so if you are told that what you are taking is very visual or more philosophical that can influence your trip.

Fly agaric - Amanita muscaria mushroom

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita  is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. 

Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. 
It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. 
The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture.

First time magic truffles experience

Thank you very much for providing a this opportunity to try these wonderful Shamantar magic truffles. This was the first time i tried magic truffles and I was not expecting much of an experience or trip like with other psychedelics I have used in the past. 
I decided to go for half a portion just in case and I can say that it was a very wise decision because 10 minutes later everything was really bright, intense and fairy-tale like. 

Me and my friend decided to go for a walk to a park. The colours of everything were almost too much to take in, especially with the sunlight. We walked around the park with amazement, sat and pondered on the meaning of life, wondered into the dark spheres of the mind and floated back up with laughter. 
All in all, it was definitely a trip and I would sincerely recommend your website www.shamantar.com and the magic truffles :)

Philosofers stone / Latin: lapis philosophorum

The philosopher's stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum) is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals (lead, for example) into gold or silver. 
It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. 

For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. The philosopher's stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, enlightenment, and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher's stone were known as the Magnum Opus.

Dr. Rick Strassman

Dr. Rick Strassman (born February 8, 1952 in Los Angeles, California, United States) is a medical doctor specialized in psychiatry with a fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology research. 

Rick Strassman MD performed the first new human studies with
psychedelic drugs in the US in over 20 years.

Rick Strassman was the first person in the United States after twenty years of intermission to embark on human research with psychedelic, hallucinogenic, or entheogenic substances. 
During the intermission period, research was restricted by law to animals studies only.

Sclerotia Psilocybe mexicana, Tampanensis and Atlantis

What is sclerotia ? 
A sclerotium (plural: sclerotia) is a hardened mass of mycelium which is more resistant to adverse environmental conditions than normal mycelium. Sclerotia form from the mycelium of certain mushroom species as a defense mechanism against dryness, cold, heat, or excessive moisture. Sclerotia contain approximately 30% dry matter. The potency of dry sclerotia is around 2/3 that of dry Psilocybe cubensis fruitbodies. 

Sclerotia Magic Mushroom Truffles

How are sclerotia grown? 
Sclerotia can be grown in vitro on rye grass seed or different grains, or harvested from spent casings of Psilocybe mexicana or Psilocybe tampanensis. Growing sclerotia in vitro is very simple and does not require any of the terrariums, air exchanges, or other complexities of fruiting mushrooms, but takes longer. Different grain substrates will work for sclerotia, but PF substrate is not suitable because of its vermiculite content. Any substrate containing materials not fit for human consumption should not be used for growing sclerotia, as it may be difficult during harvesting to separate the sclerotia from the substrate. 


What species form sclerotia? 
Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe tampanensis both form sclerotia, as well as Psilocybe atlantis. The 'A' strain of Psilocybe mexicana in particular is known for its exceptional sclerotia forming abilities.

Psilocybin

Psilocybin is a chemical found in the Psilocybe mexicana species of mushrooms. 
Psilocybe mexicana mushrooms are also called Magic Truffles 
The mushrooms (over 200 species of Basidiomycota) are typically found in tropical and subtropical areas of the United States, Mexico and South America. 
It is the ingredient that produces hallucinations and other experiences of an altered consciousness in people who consume the mushroom. Psilocybin is a crystalline tryptamine, a naturally occurring nitrogen compound, chemically similar to the human neurotransmitter DMT (dimethyltryptamine). Psilocybin is concentrated in specialized cells called sclerotia underneath the mushroom tops. Usually a person will simply eat the sclerotia or boil it in water to make a tea. The effects last about six hours, and may include hallucinations that gradually grow further apart until they disappear. Some people get silly under the influence of psilocybin, but others become more introspective. 
Each mushroom contains less than one half of one percent of psilocybin and trace amounts of psilocin, another hallucinogen. Both substances can be synthesized in a lab. 
Mushrooms containing psilocybin can be either fresh or dried and have long, thin stems topped by dark gilled caps. Like many hallucinogenic substances, mushrooms that contain psilocybin can be eaten, brewed in tea, coated with chocolate or added to other foods. Once inside the body, the digestive system will break down psilocybin to produce psilocyn.

Shamantar Teo Nanacatl, das Fleisch der Götter

In der Geschichte der Menschheit haben veränderte Wachbewusstseinszustände, die durch den Gebrauch psychoaktiver Pflanzen hervorgerufen werden, wahrscheinlich schon sehr früh eine große Bedeutung gehabt. So gab es bereits in der menschlichen Frühgeschichte vor etwa 60.000 Jahren Spezialisten für den Gebrauch von heilenden Pflanzen.

Dies belegen bei Ausgrabungen im Irak gefundene Heilpflanzen, die als Grabbeigaben identifiziert wurden. Sie enthalten Substanzen, die noch heute im medizinischen Gebrauch Anwendung finden. Unter ihnen war auch die psychoaktive Substanz Ephedrin nachweisbar. Durch andere archäologische Funde wissen wir, dass Pflanzen, die psychoaktive Wirkstoffe enthalten, in prähistorischer Zeit auf fast allen Kontinenten in Gebrauch waren. Solche Zauberpflanzen gehören so eng zum menschlichen Leben, dass ihre Entstehung in den Ursprungsmythen fast aller Völker erwähnt wird. So ist zu vermuten, dass erste Gotteserfahrungen unter dem Einfluss von psychoaktiven Substanzen stattgefunden haben. Die Zauberpflanzen waren Geburtshelfer der Religion, der Schlüssel zum mystischen Raum, der Urgrund menschlicher Kultur. Unsere Ahnen erkannten in solchen Pflanzen Lehrmeister, die ihnen Visionen gaben, die Sprache der Natur entschlüsselten oder Ratschläge zur körperlichen und geistigen Heilung erteilten. Überall auf der Welt sind Kulte entstanden, in deren Zentrum die rituelle Einnahme magischer Pflanzen steht. Manche dieser Rituale haben sich über Jahrtausende bis in die Neuzeit erhalten. Zu ihnen gehört der religiöse Gebrauch psilocybinhaltiger Pilze in Mittelamerika.

Psilocybe Semilanceata USA Liberty Cap

Liberty Caps psilocybin mushrooms

Psilocybe semilanceata, commonly known as the liberty cap, is a Psychedelic or Magic Mushroom that contains the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and baeocystin. Of the world's psilocybin mushrooms, it is the most common in nature, and one of the most potent. The mushrooms have a distinctive conical to bell-shaped cap, up to 2.5 cm (1.0 in) in diameter, with a small nipple-like protrusion on the top. They are yellow to brown in color, covered with radial grooves when moist, and fade to a lighter color as they mature. Their stems tend to be slender and long, and the same color or slightly lighter than the cap. The gill attachment to the stem is adnexed (narrowly attached), and they are initially cream-colored before tinting purple as the spores mature. The spores are dark purplish-brown in mass, ellipsoid in shape, and measure 10.5–15 by 6.5–8.5 micrometers. The mushroom grows in fields, grassy meadows, and similar habitats, particularly in wet, north-facing fields (south-facing for southern hemisphere) that are well-fertilized by sheep and cattle feces. But unlike P. cubensis and P. coprophila, the fungus does not grow directly on dung; rather, it is a saprobic species that feeds off decaying grass roots. It is widely distributed in the cool temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in Europe. However, it has also been reported occasionally from warmer locations such as India, South America, and Australasia. The earliest reliable history of P. semilanceata intoxication dates back to 1799 in London, and in the 1960s the mushroom was the first European species confirmed to contain psilocybin. Further investigations into the chemical makeup of the fungus revealed the presence of the substances phenylethylamine and the psychotropic baeocystin.

Beautiful visuals and colourful patterns

Take the Magic truffles Atlantis and beautiful visuals and 

colourful patterns are guaranteed. 

Especially for the experienced truffle lover.

Magic Truffles Atlantis:

Psilocybe atlantis: Indigenous only to Fulton County, Georgia, Psilocybe Atlantis is another relative of the magic mushroom family and has a pleasant taste and smell. This type of sclerotia has appeared on the market and is more potent than either Tampanesis or Mexicana. 
Exercise caution it’s surprisingly strong compared to the other types; similar to the difference between the old Cubensis mushrooms and the Hawaiian mushrooms.

Magic Funghi: Psicoattive

Magic funghi allucinogeni

Con il termine generico di funghi allucinogeni s'indicano le specie di funghi dalle caratteristiche psicoattive (in particolar modo allucinogene). Ne esistono circa duecento specie, diffuse in tutto il mondo, e ogni anno i micologi ne classificano di nuove. Evidenze storiche e archeologiche dimostrano che una pluralità di culti e tradizioni, sia a scopo religioso sia terapeutico, si è sviluppata intorno ad essi. I cactus e i funghi allucinogeni erano e sono tuttora tradizionalmente diffusi presso le popolazioni indigene di diverse zone dell'America e il loro uso, legato a riti sacri e fatto risalire al 2000 a.C., si è perpetuato presso le culture degli Inca, degli Aztechi e dei Maya. L'uso di funghi allucinogeni si è sviluppato presso diverse popolazioni antiche delle Americhe e ancora oggi è perpetuato presso popolazioni tradizionali del Messico centrale. Pare che il loro uso non fosse estraneo anche alle culture europee, africane e asiatiche fin dall'età della pietra. info:www.shamantar.com

Tampanensis: The Philosopher's Stone

Paul Stamets

Around 1978, the mycologist Paul Stamets found a way to grow the tampanensis. The Philosopher's Stone was born.

Psilocybe mexicana mushroom

Psilocybin Mexicana is a psychedelic mushroom. It was first used by the early natives of Central America and North America over 2,000 years ago. This species was discovered by French botanist Roger Heim.

Magic mushroom Mexicana

 It was from this species that Dr. Albert Hofmann, working with specimens grown in his Sandoz laboratory, first isolated and named the active entheogenic compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Uncertain of whether or not the artificially cultivated mushrooms would retain their natural psychoactive properties, Dr. Hofmann consumed thirty-two specimens. The following is his account of the experience, published in his classic text, The Botany and Chemistry of Hallucinogens:

 "As I was perfectly aware that my knowledge of the Mexican origin of the mushrooms would lead me to imagine only Mexican scenery, I tried deliberately to look on my environment as I knew it normally. But all voluntary efforts to look at things in their customary forms and colours proved ineffective. Whether my eyes were closed or open, I saw only Mexican motifs and colours. When the doctor supervising the experiment bent over me to check my blood pressure, he was transformed into an Aztec priest, and I would not have been astonished if he had drawn an obsidian knife. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, it amused me to see how the Germanic face of my colleague had acquired a purely Indian expression. At the peak of the intoxication, about 1½ hours after ingestion of the mushrooms, the rush of interior pictures, mostly changing in shape and colour, reached such an alarming degree that I feared I would be torn into this whirlpool of form and colour and would dissolve. After about six hours, the dream came to an end. Subjectively, I had no idea how long this condition had lasted. I felt my return to everyday reality to be a happy return from a strange, fantastic but quite really experienced world into an old and familiar home."

Sclerotia Grow Kit Ready to grow Psilocybe Mexicana

 Psilocybe mexicana Solitary or in small groups among moss along roadsides and trails, humid meadows or cornfields, in particular in the grassy areas bordering deciduous forests, and limestone regions. Common at elevations between 1000–1800 feet, rare in lower elevations, known only from Mexico and Guatemala. Fruiting takes place from May to October.

 Like some other grassland species such as Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe tampanensis, and Conocybe cyanopus, Psilocybe mexicana may form sclerotia, a dormant form of the organism, which affords it some protection from wildfires and other natural disasters.

Magic mushrooms & truffles: Legal status

The purified chemicals psilocybin and psilocin are listed as Schedule I drugs under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.However, the UN drug treaties do not apply to cultivation, preparation, or international transport of psilocybin mushrooms.


Internationally, the two chemicals are generally considered Controlled substances. However, there is much ambiguity about what is considered a "container" of these compounds in several countries (e.g. Brazil), the chemicals themselves are listed as controlled substances, but the mushrooms that contain the chemicals are not, therefore deemed legal.

History of Psilocybe

Hallucinogenic species of Psilocybe have a long history of use among the native peoples of Mesoamerica for religious communion, divination, and healing, from pre-Columbian times up to the present day.

Hallucinogenic Psilocybe were known to the aboriginal Mexicans as teonanácatl (literally "divine mushroom")and were reportedly served at the coronation of Moctezuma II in 1502. After the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the use of hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms, like other pre-Christian traditions, was forcibly suppressed and driven underground.

By the 20th century, hallucinogenic mushroom use was thought by non-Native Americans to have disappeared entirely. However, in 1955, Valentina and R. Gordon Wasson became the first Westerners to actively participate in an indigenous mushroom ceremony. The Wassons did much to publicize their discovery, even publishing an article on their experiences in Life in 1957.
In 1956, Roger Heim identified the hallucinogenic mushroom that the Wassons had brought back from Mexico as Psilocybe and in 1958, Albert Hofmann first reported psilocin and psilocybin as the active compound in these mushrooms.

There is some skepticism in whether or not these "sacred mushrooms" were actually those of the Psilocybe genus. However, according to Heim's research in Mexico, he identified three species of Psilocybe that he believed were used in these Indian ceremonies. The species identified by Heim were; Psilocybe mexicana, P. caerulescen, and P. zapotecorum. Variety of Psilocybe mushrooms that make up the teonanácatl group of hallucinogenic mushrooms, including Psilocybe cubensis.
During Heim's field and culture work, he was under the guidance of a descendent of the Mazotecan ancestors (the natives which partook in experimenting with these hallucinogens), the head of the family, Isauro Nava Garcia.
He was an avid observer of the fungi in his environment while identifying specific characteristics about the fruit body of the Psilocybe genus his ancestors utilized, as well as knowing where they could be found.
At present, hallucinogenic mushroom use has been reported among a number of groups spanning from central Mexico to Oaxaca, including groups of Nahua, Mixtecs, Mixe, Mazatecs, Zapotecs, and others.

 The popularization of entheogens by Wasson, Timothy Leary, and others has led to an explosion in the use of hallucinogenic Psilocybe throughout the world. By the early 1970s, a number of psychoactive Psilocybe species were described from temperate North America, Europe, and Asia and were widely collected. Books describing methods of cultivating Psilocybe cubensis in large quantities were also published. The relatively easy availability of hallucinogenic Psilocybe from wild and cultivated sources has made it among the most widely used of the hallucinogenic drugs.

Psilocybe-Distribution and habitat

Distribution and habitat

Geographically, species in this genus are found throughout the world in most biomes, with the exception of high deserts. Of the 60 species of Psilocybe that occur in the United States, 25 are hallucinogenic. For the bluing Psilocybe, the greatest species diversity seems to be in the neotropics, from Mesoamerica through Brazil and Chile. Psilocybe are found in a variety of habitats and substrates. Many of the bluing species found in temperate regions, such as Psilocybe cyanescens, seem to have an affinity for landscaped areas mulched with woodchips and are actually rather rare in natural settings removed from human habitation. Contrary to popular belief, only a minority of Psilocybe species, such as P. coprophila and P. cubensis, grow directly on feces. Many other species are found in habitats such as mossy, grassy, or forest humus soils.

Psilocybe cubensis World map

Psilocybe: Description and Classification

Psilocybe is a genus of small mushrooms growing worldwide. This genus is best known for its species with psychedelic or hallucinogenic properties, widely known as "magic mushrooms", though the majority of species do not contain hallucinogenic compounds. Psilocin and psilocybin are the hallucinogenic compounds responsible for the psychoactive effects of many species in the genus. The word Psilocybe comes from the Greek words ψιλός + κύβη, and literally means "bare headed", referring to the mushroom's detachable pellicle (loose skin over the cap). It may be pronounced with the accent on the first syllable or the second. The final e is not silent. The marked difference between the Botanical Latin-based pronunciation (given here) and anglicized colloquial pronunciations (with a silent "e") is sometimes a source of confusion in oral communication about this genus.

Description

Psilocybe fruit bodies are typically small, nondescript mushrooms with a typical "little brown mushroom" morphology. Macroscopically, they are characterized by their small to occasionally medium size, brown to yellow-brown coloration, with a typically hygrophanous cap, and a spore print-color that ranges from lilac-brown to dark purple-brown (though rusty-brown colored varieties are known in at least one species).Hallucinogenic species typically have a blue-staining reaction when the fruit body is bruised. Microscopically, they are characterized by cutis-type pileipellis, lack of chrysocystidia, and spores that are smooth, ellipsoid to rhomboid to subhexagonal in shape, with a distinct apical germ pore. Ecologically, all species of Psilocybe are saprotrophs, growing on various kinds of decaying organic matter.

Classification

 A 2002 study of the molecular phylogeny of the agarics by Moncalvo, et al., indicates that the genus Psilocybe as presently defined is polyphyletic, falling into two distinct clades that are not directly related to each other. The blue-staining hallucinogenic species constitute one clade and the non-bluing species constitute the other. The previous type species (Psilocybe montana) of the genera was in the non-bluing clade, but in 2010 the type species was changed to Psilocybe semilanceata, a member of the bluing clade. A 2006 molecular phylogenetic study of the Agaricales by Matheny, et al., further demonstrates the separation of the bluing and non-bluing clades of Psilocybe in a larger, strongly supported phylogenetic tree of the Agaricales. Psilocybe is placed taxonomically in the agaric family Strophariaceae based upon its spore and pileipellis morphology. The phylogenetic study by Matheny, et al., places the non-bluing Psilocybe and its close relatives in a basal position within the Strophariaceae, a sister taxon to a clade containing the other genera within that family. The bluing Psilocybe, however, form a clade that is sister to Galerina in the newly-erected family, Hymenogastraceae. The phylogenetic study by Moncalvo, et al. has confirmed that the agaric genus Melanotus is simply a subgroup of the non-bluing Psilocybe, and also points to a close relationship between the latter group and the genera Kuehneromyces and Phaeogalera. In 2007, a paper by Redhead et al. proposed conserving the genus Psilocybe with Psilocybe semilanceata as its type species. The suggestion was accepted by unanimous vote of the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi of the International Botanical Congress in 2010, meaning that Psilocybe semilanceata (a member of the bluing clade) now serves as the type species of the genus. Since Psilocybe semilanceata is now the type species of the genus, the bluing hallucinogenic clade will remain in the genus Psilocybe while the non-bluing clade will likely be transferred to the genus Deconica.

Psilocybe tampanensis

Psilocybe tampanensis is a very rare psychedelic mushroom in the Strophariaceae family. Originally collected in the wild in a sandy meadow near Tampa, Florida in 1977, the fungus has never again been reported in Florida, but was later collected in Mississippi. The original Florida specimen was cloned, and descendents remain in wide circulation. The fruit bodies (mushrooms) produced by the fungus are yellowish-brown in color with convex to conic caps up to 2.4 cm (0.9 in) in diameter atop a thin stem up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. Psilocybe tampanensis forms psychoactive truffle-like sclerotia that are known and sold under the nickname "philosopher's stones". The fruit bodies and sclerotia are consumed by some for recreational or entheogenic purposes. In nature, sclerotia are produced by the fungus as a form of protection from wildfires and other natural disasters.


Psilocybe tampanensis contains the psychedelic compounds psilocin and psilocybin, and is consumed for recreational and entheogenic purposes. The species was found to be one of the most popular psychoactive mushrooms confiscated by German authorities in a 2000 report, behind Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe semilanceata, and Panaeolus cyanescens. The alkaloid content in the confiscated samples ranged from not detectable to 0.19% psilocybin, and 0.01 to 0.03% psilocin. According to mycologist Michael Beug, dried fruit bodies can contain up to 1% psilocybin and psilocin; in terms of psychoactive potency, Stamets considers the mushroom "moderately to highly active".The psychoactive compounds are also present in the sclerotia: in one analysis, the levels of psilocybin obtained from sclerotia ranged from 0.31% to 0.68% by dry weight, and were dependent upon the composition of the growth medium.Sclerotia are sold under the nickname "philosopher's stones". They have been described as "resembling congealed muesli", and having a somewhat bitter taste similar to walnut. Strains existing as commercial cultivation kits sold originally in countercultural drug magazines are derived from the original fruit body found by Pollock in Florida.Methods were originally developed by Pollock, and later extended by Stamets in the 1980s to cultivate the sclerotia on a substrate of rye grass (Lolium), and on straw. Sclerotia prepared in this way take from 3 to 12 weeks to develop. Pollock was granted a US patent in 1981 for his method of producing sclerotia