Blue-foot (Psilocybe caerulipes)
Mushroom Identification
πΉ Scientific Name: Psilocybe caerulipes (syn. Agaricus caerulipes)
πΉ Family: Hymenogastraceae
πΉ Type: Edible, "Magical" Mushroom β¨ (contains psilocybin and psilocin)
π Cap: Small, 0.39 to 1.38 inches (1 to 3.5 cm) wide, starting out conic or convex with edges curled inward. It flattens with age, often with an umbo (central bump), becoming irregular. Moist caps have a sticky, gelatinous layer that dries to a shiny, translucent surface with faint striations. Often cinnamon brown when fresh, fading to ochraceous buff, and may show greenish tints near the edges. Flesh bruises blue when handled.
πΏ Gills: Dense and narrow, attached to the stem in various ways (adnate, sinuate, or uncinate). They transition from light brown to a rich cinnamon hue with age, with white, slightly fringed edges.
𦡠Stem: Slender, 1.18 to 2.36 inches (3 to 6 cm) long, 1.5β3 mm thick, expanding slightly towards the base. White to buff at first, turning brownish near the base and bruising blue. The upper part is powdered, with fine, white-gray fibrils extending down. Initially solid and stuffed but becomes hollow as it ages.
ποΈ Season: Appears from late May to December, with peak sightings in summer and early fall.
π¬ Microscopic Details
Spores: Dark purple-brown, ellipsoid, measuring 7β10 x 4β5 ΞΌm with a broad germ pore. Two- and four-spored basidia; larger spores in two-spored basidia.
Cheilocystidia: Swollen at the base and tapering at the top, sometimes forked at the end.
π² Habitat & Growth
Habitat: Grows on decaying hardwood debris, particularly around birch, beech, and maple in deciduous forests.
Distribution: Found in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia and Ontario to North Carolina and west to Michigan. Also found in the cloud forests of Mexico. Known for being rare and often mistaken for similar "little brown mushrooms."
Growth Habit: Solitary to small clusters (cespitose).
β¨ Special Characteristics
Bruising: True to its name, "Blue-Foot," the base and stem bruise blue when handled.
Psilocybin Content: Varies between 0.11% and 1.34% by dry weight, with higher concentrations in the caps.
π Fun Fact: Psilocybe caerulipes is the only active Psilocybe species native to the Northeastern U.S., making it quite special for mushroom hunters in the region.
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: Alan Rockefeller (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo 2 - Author: Alan Rockefeller (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo 3 - Author: Alan Rockefeller (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo 4 - Author: Alan Rockefeller (CC BY-SA 4.0)