Psilocybe allenii
Description
Psilocybe allenii, a captivating agaric mushroom. Its cap, a soft brown to buff hue, is broad and slightly flattened, while its stem is white. thrives along the northwestern coast of North America, from the misty forests of British Columbia down to Los Angeles π². Often spotted within 10 miles (16 km) of the Pacific, this fascinating mushroom makes its home on decaying wood chips, particularly in landscaped gardens or forest mulch made from oak, eucalyptus, fir, and alder πΏ.
π½οΈ Psilocybe allenii is considered psychoactive and contains psilocybin along with psilocin, making it a hallucinogenic mushroom. While technically "edible" in the sense that it can be ingested, itβs consumed primarily for its psychoactive effects rather than for nutrition or culinary flavor. People who consume it experience hallucinogenic effects due to the psilocybin content, so itβs used recreationally and often with caution.
Mushroom Identification
π Cap:
Size: 0.59 to 3.54 inches (1.5 to 9 cm), variable by growing conditions.
Shape: Broadly convex to flat, sometimes with a slight central depression.
Margin: Straight to slightly curved inward; occasionally slightly wavy and with radial grooves when moist.
Texture: Smooth and sticky when wet, with a gelatinous cuticle that peels. Very slippery when wet, making collection tricky!
Color: Changes with moisture (hygrophanous), from pale orange-brown to caramel when wet, drying to yellowish-buff.
π Gills:
Attachment: Adnate to sinuate (curved or notched) attachment to the stipe.
Color: Starts cream to pale gray-brown, maturing to dark purple with spore production.
πΎ Stem:
Size: 1.57 to 2.76 inches (4 to 7 cm) long, 20β70 mm thick, slightly thicker at the base.
Texture: Smooth to silky-fibrillose, white, aging to a slight yellow.
Special Features: Base has thick white rhizomorphs (root-like structures). The top is pruinose (with white powdery granules). Stains blue when handled or damaged. Young mushrooms have a disappearing white veil, leaving a purplish-brown spore-stained ring.
π΅ Bruising:
Blue bruising on all parts of the mushroom when touched or damaged, a key indicator!
π Spore Print:
Color: Purple-brown.
π Odor and Taste:
Farinaceous (like freshly ground flour).
π Habitat and Distribution:
Found alone, scattered, or in large groups, often in woodchip mulch, especially in urban areas.
Common in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, and present in New Zealand's North and South Islands (notably Dunedin, Mid Canterbury, Hamilton, and Auckland).
Prefers colder seasons, often appearing from late September to December, or October through January in California.
π¬ Microscopic Features:
Spores: Thick-walled, elongated ellipsoid, with an apical pore; dark brown with violet tints, typically 9β13 x 6β9 Β΅m.
Cystidia: Abundant on gill edges, with variable shapes; basidia are cylindrical, four-spored, and equipped with clamp connections.
π Seasonality:
Psilocybe allenii thrives in the cool temperatures of fall, with a peak season from late September through January.
Look-Alikes
1οΈβ£ Psilocybe serbica var. moravica
Similar cap and stipe. Generally more slender than P. allenii. Found in Europe.
2οΈβ£ Psilocybe cyanescens
Microscopic characteristics match P. allenii. Distinct wavy cap at maturity. Longer fruiting season: late September through April. Lacks the ring zone on the stipe seen in P. allenii
3οΈβ£ Psilocybe azurescens
Broader cap with an umbo (broad or acute). Longer stipe, up to 20 cm (7.9 in). Fruiting season similar to P. cyanescens
4οΈβ£ Psilocybe subaeruginosa (Australia)
Similar appearance, possibly part of a complex with P. australiana and P. eucalypta
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: Alan Rockefeller
Photo 2 - Author: Sorrel
Photo 3 - Author: Alan Rockefeller
Photo 4 - Author: Alan Rockefeller