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

CHAPTER 4
MUSHROOM IDENTIFICATION: TAXONOMIC CONFUSION AND
THE POTENTIAL FOR DEADLY MISTAKES
On December 16, 1981, three teenagers
hunting for psychoactive mushrooms on
Whidbey Island, WA (USA) collected
specimens of a Galerina species, in the mistaken
belief that the mushrooms belonged to a
Psilocybe species. All three of them fell ill after
eating the mushrooms, but did not report their
symptoms or seek medical help for another two
days, afraid of being prosecuted for using
psilocybin. After medical treatment, two of the
teenagers made a full recovery. The third
victim, however, a 16 -year-old girl, died on
December 24, 1981.
As presented by Beug and Bigwood, this
tragic incident underscores the dangers inherent
is careless or erroneous identification of
mushroom species, especially when a situation is
complicated by overzealous legislative and
punitive measures. The psilocybin-producing
species as well as culinary mushroom varieties
often share some characteristics with many other
species. Casual mushroom hunters and laypersons
are especially prone to making
identification errors, suffering accidental
ittoxications as a result. Previous chapters
included several case histories of such
involuntary intoxications. To be sure, modern
mycological keys are valuable tools when it
comes to accuracy in deciding the family and
genus of an unknown mushroom sample. It can
be extremely difficult, however, to identify the
specific species of questionable specimens,
especially if the sample belongs to the vast
category of "LBM"s, or "little brown mushrooms".
We currently know very little about the
"LBM" species, since their habitats and
variations in habitus have not been studied in
systematic detail. Not surprisingly, reference
books are often limited by incomplete descriptions
that lack the essential criteria for
differentiating one species from others that are
similar or related. I vividly recall my own first
attempts to identify unknown samples by relying
on what appeared to be precise definitions in
standard mycological reference works. I found
many of the listed traits to be descriptive of a
wide range of sometimes very different species.
As I compared my samples with the text, I
noticed a tendency to disregard some of the finer
details in the literature, so that "my mushrooms"
would better match the descriptions. Naturally, this
approach resulted in errors. Luckily, I would quickly
discover and correct my mistakes upon consultation
with my mycologist friends. In my experience,
competence and expertise in the area of mushroom
identification are skills honed over time through
extensive fieldwork, consultations with established
mycological experts, and careful analyses of samples
based on information found in appropriate reference
books.
The literature clearly indicates that
Psilocybe semilanceata is one species that, at prime
locations, can be easily identified without consulting
a diagnostic key. Psilocybe semilanceata is known
for its uniquely distinctive appearance, so that
microscopic tests are not needed to distinguish this
species from other pasture-dwelling mushrooms.
The situation is different, however, for Psilocybe
species that thrive on wood debris, as illustrated by
the tragic story at the beginning of this chapter.
Besides, compared to Europe, the North American
mycoflora includes a much broader and varied
spectrum of mushroom species to begin with.
Warning: Amatoxins are Lethal!
The Galerina genus includes a number of
poisonous mushrooms. These species are dangerous,
because they contain the same deadly amatoxins as
the "death cap" (Amanita phalloides) and its
relatives, "death angel" and "destroying angel". Their
toxins are insidious, with no symptoms evident for
about 12 hours. During this latency period, the toxins
can cause major irreversible internal damage, which
is why many cases are fatal in spite of treatment. A
common North American species is Galerina
autumnalis (Peck) Singer & Smith, which grows on
wood debris in parks and forests, just like several of
the Psilocybe species. At first glance, Galerina
autumnalis resembles Psilocybe stuntzii Guzman &
Ott, and the two species may grow