Jochen Gartz - Magic Mushrooms Around the ... - preterhuman.net

Mycologists specialize in the study of Psilocybes,
despite the fact that Psilocybe semilanceata is the
most common and conspicuous species among the
Psilocybes. Also, mushroom lovers whose
interests are not purely scientific (see Chapter 7.4)
do not usually preserve their knowledge for
posterity in the form of distribution maps.
However, there is one map from 1986, which
shows the distribution pattern of Psilocybe
semilanceata across Germany (see Figure 20, p.
28).
Almost no published information is available
about locations where Psilocybe species have
been found in eastern Germany. During my own
field trips, I have discovered Psilocybe
semilanceata specimens in various locations, such
as near my hometown of Mansfeld in the Vorharz
Mountains, in the marshlands of Duben as well as
in other eastern German marshland areas. In
addition, friends who are also mycologists have
told me about finding the mushrooms in other
parts of the country. A book published in 1952 is
among the rare sources that includes details about
specimens discovered in the southeastern state of
Saxony (see Figure 16, p. 23).
The Psilocybe species grow most
abundantly on wet pastures surrounded by forest
areas. In my experience, Psilocybe semilanceata
grows in most of Germany's forestlands. The
species fruits during the fall, from late September
through October. It favors acidic soil and grassy
terrain alongside trails or around the edges of
forest lands. Specimens are generally clustered in
small groups of 30 mushrooms or less. Deer
droppings or other animal feces are usually
present at those locations, even though the
mushrooms never grow directly on top of dung.
Occasionally, extremely stunted specimens may
be found in the mountains by the side of the road.
The soil below older cow pastures provides
an excellent medium for extensive mycelial
growth. In some locations, large areas yield an
abundance of fruiting bodies, mirroring the extent
of mycelial saturation in the soil. Given adequate
moisture, maximum yields can be expected, if the
pasture was grazed at least once during the weeks
before fruiting season. However, the mushrooms
also thrive under similar conditions on horse and
sheep pastures. Such grassy areas inside forests
are usually grazing areas for deer, who provide
the soil with additional fertilization. However,
Psilocybe semilanceata does not grow in locations
where artificial fertilizer has been used. Such
pastures are often flanked by creeks or swamp
lands, which saturate the soil with water. During the
summertime, the warm climate in these wet areas
provides an excellent environment for optimal
mycelial growth. In Germany, the mushroom's
habitat ranges from the coastal areas to
mountainous regions, where the species has been
found at altitudes of up to 1,720 m (5,160 ft) above
sea level (MTB-8443, 1985). In the former
Czechoslovakia, samples have been collected at
altitudes ranging from 330 to 1,000 m (1,000 -
3,000 ft), with one location at 1,400 m (4,200 ft)
above sea level. According to these distribution
patterns, the species does not appear to favor a
specific altitude. As of 1986, 44 locations in the
former Czechoslovakia had been logged, yielding a
total of 54 samples. In contrast to other mushroom
species, such as the cultivated commercial white
mushrooms (Agaricus bisporis), Psilocybe
semilanceata will fruit in a comparatively much
wider range of temperatures.
While Psilocybe semilanceata is common
throughout Germany, the species does not appear to
favor specific areas where it occurs in marked
abundance or density. One obvious limitation on the
growth of the species is the limited presence of
fertilizer in areas that would otherwise be excellent
locations for the mushroom to thrive in. Most likely
that is why the species has not expanded into new
habitats in Germany over the last few decades.
Descriptions of frequency of occurrence in the older
literature are comparable to contemporary
observations.
On occasion, however, Psilocybe
semilanceata can produce a huge number of fruiting
bodies at certain locations where conditions for
growth are excellent.
Between a Creek and a Marshlands Pond....
8'/2 Inches Tall !
At this point, I would like to provide some
more details about two marshlands locations, where
we have conducted mycological field research over
the course of several years.
At the first location, the fruiting bodies
grew in a shallow grass valley among very tall grass
on slightly acidic soil. This grassy area was