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

from the mycelia. For instance, other wood
chipdwelling species have been reported from
the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., such as
Psilocybe stundi, Psilocybe baeocystis,
Psilocybe pelliculosa and others (also see
Chapter 7.1). Psilocybe caerulescens Murr.
from Mexico is also related to these species.
This was the first Psilocybe mushroom to be
recognized as psychoactive by Wasson in the
course of his selfexperiment on June 29,
1955.
Very little is known about the chemical
composition of the collections cited above. I
analysed a few mushrooms from collections
found in the Rheinland area of Germany in
1989. The results were as follows:
Psilocybin: 0.51 % of dried mushrooms
Psilocin:
0.08 % of dried mushrooms
Baeocystin: 0.04% of dried mushrooms
A few other analyses of German
mushrooms yielded similar results. These
values were well within the range of
concentrations of alkaloids found in Mexican
species. The most extensive studies on
distribution, psychoactivity and chemical
compounds of Psilocybe cyanescens complex
were conducted in the former
Czechoslovakia, where the mushrooms are
generally known as Psilocybe bohemica, a
name which is also used in the text below.
well as on decaying pine cones. Several
specimens up to 15 cm (6 in.) tall with caps up to
5 cm (2 in.) broad were found growing on a
rotting log whose underside was exposed to the
running water. A water-loving Psilocybe species,
it primarily fruits in late autumn (see Figure 21,
below), when short night frosts induce maximum
possible fruiting. The brown caps are strongly
hygrophanous and their color fades to a whitemilky
brown when dried. Its odor has been
compared to anything from radishes to poppies.
In my experience, the odor is highly variable and
thus difficult to define. Young, dry mushrooms
develop intensely blue stains in response to
handling, while older fruiting bodies tend to be
found at the location with dark blue stains already
in place. It is remarkable that the mushrooms
were fruiting at the same location near Poricko
for so many years in a row, producing a large
number of fruiting bodies each year.
Unfortunately, in recent years the location was
partially destroyed, due to construction of a road.
By late 1982, the mushroom species had
been found at 51 locations in the former
Czechoslovakia, with only seven of them located
in Bohemia, 40 in Moravia, and four in Slovakia.
Elevations vary from 200 m to 700 m (600 ft to
2,100 ft) above sea level, with only two locations
known to exist above 700 m (2,100 ft). By this
time, 112 collections had been reported, 44 of
which came from the classic location near
Sazava.
An Amazing Discovery Near Poricko
Kubicka first discovered the species on
December 6 and 13, 1942 in the Kresicky
Creek Valley village of Poricko v Pozavi near
Sazava (Czech Republic). In 1950,
mycologist Herink described the mushrooms
in detail. He also believes that Fries classified
mushrooms of the Psilocybe cyanescens
complex as Psilocybe callosa during the 19th
century. On November 11, 1986 I had the
opportunity to work with Herink and other
Czech mycologists on a mycological field
research project at the location, where we
found 440 fruiting bodies (550 g or 19.6 ozs).
Covering a segment almost two miles long,
the species was fruiting among nettles along
both sides of the creek on wood chips of
Carpinus, Alnus and Salix, on raw compost
mixtures of Picea, Pinus and Larix needles,
as
Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
Figure 21 - Fruiting curve of Psilocybe
cyanescens based on observations at several
locations in the former Czechoslovakia.
The mycelia make use of different kinds
of plant debris and even grow on wet cardboard,
where they develop into rhizomorphs just like
they would in nature. Rhizomorphs are thick
strands of mycelia that serve to transport
nutrients and water. They also develop intense
blue stains (see Figure 22).