''Panaeolus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of small, black-spored,

saprotrophic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ( ...

agarics. The word ''Panaeolus'' is

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

for "all variegated", alluding to the spotted gills of the

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

s produced.

Characteristics

These fungi are mostly

dung Dung most often refers to animal feces. Dung may also refer to: Science and technology * Dry animal dung fuel * Manure * Cow dung * Coprolite, fossilized feces * Dung beetle Art * Mundungus Fletcher or "Dung", a character in the Harry Potter n ...

and

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

species, some of which are quite common in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

and North America. The

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

of ''Panaeolus'' do not deliquesce as do the members of the related

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...

Coprinellus ''Coprinellus'' is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi in the family Psathyrellaceae. The genus was circumscribed by the Finnish mycologist Petter Adolf Karsten in 1879. Most ''Coprinellus'' species were transferred from the once large genus ...

'' and ''

Coprinopsis ''Coprinopsis'' is a genus of mushrooms in the family Psathyrellaceae. ''Coprinopsis'' was split out of the genus '' Coprinus'' based on molecular data. The species ''Coprinopsis cinerea'' (=''Coprinus cinereus'') is a model organism for mushr ...

''. Members of ''Panaeolus'' can also be mistaken for ''

Psathyrella ''Psathyrella'' is a large genus of about 400 species, and is similar to the genera ''Coprinellus'', '' Coprinopsis'', '' Coprinus'' and '' Panaeolus'', usually with a thin cap and white or yellowish white hollow stem. The caps do not self diges ...

'', however the latter genus is usually found growing on wood or lignin-enriched soils and has brittle

stipes Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...

. The gills of these mushrooms are black or grey and have a spotty, speckled or cloudy appearance, caused by the way that the dark spores ripen together in tiny patches on the gill surface; different patches darken at different times. The spores are smooth. The closely related genus ''

Panaeolina Panaeolina is a small genus of small mushrooms, containing only about four species. They are a subgroup of Panaeolus which have dark brown spores. The type species is Panaeolina foenisecii, a common lawn mushroom. Members of ''Panaeolina'' ar ...

'' shares the spotted gills but they are dark brown (not black) and the spores are ornamented. This genus is sometimes treated as part of ''Panaeolus''. The spores are smooth or roughened, with a germ pore, and all species except for Panaeolus foenisecii have a jet black spore print.

Edibility

No members of ''Panaeolus'' are used for food, though some are used as a

psychedelic drug Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science ...

. Thirteen species of ''Panaeolus'' contain the hallucinogen

psilocybin Psilocybin ( , ) is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi. The most potent are members of the genus ''Psilocybe'', such as '' P. azurescens'', '' P. semilanceata'', and '' P.&n ...

including ''

Panaeolus cyanescens ''Panaeolus cyanescens'' is a mushroom in the Bolbitiaceae family. ''Panaeolus cyanescens'' is a common psychoactive mushroom and is similar to '' Panaeolus tropicalis''. Description *Cap: 1.5 – 4 cm across, dry, at first hemispheric, ...

'' and ''

Panaeolus cinctulus ''Panaeolus cinctulus'', syn. ''Panaeolus subbalteatus'', commonly known as the banded mottlegill, weed Panaeolus or is a very common, widely distributed psilocybin mushroom. According to American naturalist and mycologist David Arora, ''Panaeol ...

''. The bluing hallucinogenic members of this genus were sometimes previously segregated into a separate (but now deprecated) genus, ''

Copelandia ''Copelandia'' is a now deprecated genus of mushrooms consisting of at least 12 species. Many American mycologists previously placed members of ''Panaeolus'' which stain blue into ''Copelandia'', whilst European mycologists generally used the na ...

'', but are now universally classified in ''Panaeolus''. Several members of this genus are known to contain

psilocin Psilocin (also known as 4-HO-DMT, 4-hydroxy DMT, psilocine, psilocyn, or psilotsin) is a substituted tryptamine alkaloid and a serotonergic psychedelic substance. It is present in most psychedelic mushrooms together with its phosphorylated cou ...

and

and it is suspected that a number of other members of this genus contain unidentified psychoactive compounds. All members of this

contain serotonin derivatives.

Notable species

References

External links

Key to Panaeolus in the Pacific Northwest

Panaeolus key by Ola'h that emphasizes microscopic features

Panaeolus - A Genus of Toadstools

A Worldwide Geographical Distribution of the Neurotropic Fungi
* Wikispecies - Panaeolus {{Taxonbar, from=Q2120832 Agaricales genera Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries