''Psilocybe samuiensis'' is a psychedelic mushroom, which has psilocybin and psilocin as main active compounds. It was placed in the section ''Mexicanae'' of genus ''Psilocybe'' by

Gastón Guzmán Gastón Guzmán Huerta (August 26, 1932 – January 12, 2016), a Mexican mycologist and anthropologist, was an authority on the genus ''Psilocybe''. Career He was born in Xalapa, Veracruz, in 1932. His interest in mycology began in 1955 when as ...

due to its rhomboid-shaped spores. It has been found in Koh Samui, a small tropical island in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, where some psychoactive species are consumed by both natives and tourists. Chao Samui rarely consume psilocybian fungi. Such local use is usually restricted to local females who do so at the request of foreigners.

Description

The cap is typically 7–15 mm in diameter, almost convex to conic in shape, umbonate with a small

papilla Papilla (Latin, 'nipple') or papillae may refer to: In animals * Papilla (fish anatomy), in the mouth of fish * Basilar papilla, a sensory organ of lizards, amphibians and fish * Dental papilla, in a developing tooth * Dermal papillae, part of ...

. The cap is viscid and has a separable pellicle. It is a reddish-brown color when moist, but becomes lighter brown when dry. The stipe is 4.0–6.5 cm high × 1.5 cm thick, equal or slightly bulbous. The stipe is hollow, whitish in color, and covered with white

fibril Fibrils (from the Latin ''fibra'') are structural biological materials found in nearly all living organisms. Not to be confused with fibers or filaments, fibrils tend to have diameters ranging from 10-100 nanometers (whereas fibers are micro ...

s. It is the same color as the cap, and stains blue when bruised. The odor and taste are slightly like grain meal ('' farinaceous''). Spores have been recorded in the range of 10.4-12.8 by 6.4-8

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

and have a thick wall with a flattened, broad germ pore.

Habitat

''Psilocybe samuiensis'' was first picked in soil containing mixtures of sand and clay west of the village of Ban Hua Thanon, in Koh Samui. Since then it is now known to occur in Ranong Province in Thailand and also at Angkor Wat in Siem Riap, Kampuchea; and verified by Gaston Guzman. It grows scattered to gregarious in rice paddies, but never directly on manure, fruiting from early July to late August. Gastón Guzmán mistakenly noted that the species was known only by the native children who collect psychoactive fungi for sale. Only three local children observed John W. Allen harvesting fresh specimens of the species, yet days later could not remember said species.

Chemistry

Analysed by

HPLC High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), formerly referred to as high-pressure liquid chromatography, is a technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify, and quantify each component in a mixture. It relies on pumps to pa ...

and

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...

, psilocybin and psilocin in the fruit bodies ranged from 0.023–0.90% (dry weight) and 0.05–0.81%, respectively. baeocystin was also detected at the concentration of 0.01–0.05%.

Description

Habitat

Chemistry

See also

References

Further reading