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

psilocybin that are fully compatible with the data
from the United States:
TABLE 4
Ingredients Found in Mycelia and Fruiting
Bodies of Panaeolus subbalteatus
(% of Dried Material )
Ingredient Mycelia
Fruiting Bodies
Psilocybin 0.07 0.08(stem)-0.70
Psilocin 0.00 0.00
Baeocystin 0.00 0.05(stem)-0.46
Serotonin 0.10 0.08-0.30
Urea 0.00 1.80-2.30(cap)
Table 4 shows that the nature and relative
amounts of the substances found are different in
the fruiting bodies compared to the base
mycelium, which was tested here for the first time.
As far as active ingredients are concerned,
levels of urea are trivial. The substance does,
however, have some significance in terms of
chemo-taxonomy. Among species discussed
here, urea is present only in Panaeolus and Pluteus
species. Urea was detected "incidentally" during
thin-layer chromatography testing intended to
discover the presence of indole compounds. Stijve
has collected and tested samples of Panaeolus
foenisecii from eight countries across three
continents (namely, America, Europe and
Australia), but has consistently failed to find
psilocybin in addition to 5-substituted indole
compounds. My own analyses of 100 mushrooms
from a wide variety of locations across Germany
also failed to confirm the presence of this alkaloid
and its derivatives. While the local European
species that are discussed here also tend to occur
on other continents (Panaeolus subbalteatus, for
example, grows in Hawaii), there are tropical
varieties of this genus which are highly
psychoactive as well. Given the best possible
climate conditions, these species may fruit
adventively in Europe for short periods of time.
Panaeolus cyanescens is the most wellknown
representative of these species (see Figure
29). Like other tropical Panaeolus and Psilocybe
species, Panaeolus cyanescens exhibits a strong
blue staining reaction. The
large number of existing synonyms for the
species, as presented by Gerhardt (see Figure
31), again indicates substantial taxonomic
confusion, as well as insufficient
communication and exchange of information.
Panaeolus Experiences
Sometimes it is difficult to avoid the
conclusion that many prominent mycologists are
only too willing to disregard existing research
results in order to attach their names to
definitions of "new" species. Singer lists
Panaeolus cyanescens separate from Panaeolus
as belonging to the genus Copelandia, along with
other species. Nowadays, this classification is
becoming increasingly unpopular among
mycologists, and many of them do not accept it.
Panaeolus cyanescens is responsible for a number
of remarkable intoxications which occurred on
August 19, 1965 in Menton, located on the French
Mediterranean Coast. The mushroom
spontaneously appeared on compost which
consisted of straw and decayed horse dung. The
compost was intended to improve lawn
quality. It should be noted that the horse dung
came from a race track used by horses from
tropical countries. Under these circum-stances, it is
quite likely that the species responsible for the
intoxications was imported to the location from
another country. On one occasion, in the early
1970s, Panaeolus cyanescens was found at the
Budapest Fairgrounds next to the pavilions from
Thailand and Vietnam!
About the course of the intoxications: A woman
and her two children ate a meal consisting of only
about 60 g (2.1 ozs.) of the mushrooms. Within less
than fifteen minutes after ingestion, she began to
feel weak, followed by visual disturbances and
marked dilation of the pupils. About one hour after
the meal she developed dizzy spells that came and
went in waves. Increasingly, all colors in her
immediate surroundings coalesced into shades of
green. The hallucinations were fearsome; the heads
of monsters became visible and a wall opened up
into an abyss. There was a succession of human
figure with animal heads. The next day, everything
was back to normal. The oldest child (age 14) also
saw her parents' hair color turn green, had dilated
pupils and watched geometric shapes appear on the
wall. The youngest child