''Psilocybe mairei'' is a species of
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 t ...
in the family
Hymenogastraceae
The Hymenogastraceae is a family of fungi in the order Agaricales with both agaric and false-truffle shaped fruitbodies. Formerly, prior to molecular analyses, the family was restricted to the false-truffle genera. The mushroom genus ''Psilocybe' ...
. It is found in
Algeria
)
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, relig ...
and
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and contains the psychoactive compound
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.&nbs ...
.
[ (on Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto)] The oldest example of rock art suggesting use of psychedelic mushrooms might depict ''P. mairei''. In 1992 the Italian ethnobotanist
Giorgio Samorini
Giorgio Samorini (born 1957 in Bologna, Italy) is a psychedelics researcher. He has published many essays and monographs regarding the use of psychoactive
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, psychoactive agent or psychotropic drug i ...
reported finding a painted mural from
Tassili n'Ajjer
Tassili n'Ajjer ( Berber: ''Tassili n Ajjer'', ar, طاسيلي ناجر; "Plateau of rivers") is a national park in the Sahara desert, located on a vast plateau in southeastern Algeria. Having one of the most important groupings of prehistoric ...
in the
Sahara desert
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, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
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, location =
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in southeast
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, dated 7000 to 9000 BCE, portraying mushrooms
(later tentatively identified as ''P. mairei''
).
See also
*
List of Psilocybin mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms are mushrooms which contain the hallucinogenic substances psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin and norbaeocystin. The mushrooms are collected and grown as an entheogen and recreational drug, despite being illegal in many count ...
*
Psilocybin mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, are a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain psilocybin which turns into psilocin upon ingestion. Biological genera containing psilocybin mushrooms include ''Psilocybe'', ''Pan ...
*''
Psilocybe
''Psilocybe'' ( ) is a genus of gilled mushrooms, growing worldwide, in the family Hymenogastraceae. Most or nearly all species contain the psychedelic compounds psilocybin and psilocin.
Taxonomy
Taxonomic history
A 2002 study of the mole ...
''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7255896
Entheogens
Psychoactive fungi
mairei
Psychedelic tryptamine carriers
Fungi of Africa