Mushrooms have played an important part in our lives since antiquity. They extend our cuisine, our consciousness, and are an essential component of our planet’s ecosystem. On the other hand, cases of mistaken mushroom identity seem to frighten us. With the dangers associated with mistaking one for another, magic mushroom identification is one of the processes few of us are willing to undertake. Proper planning and knowledge on how to look for these incredible mushrooms will help immensely during magic mushroom hunting. Since most of us are beginners of the methods of hunting wild mushrooms, some of this fear is warranted. An inexperienced mushroom hunter can easily end up in the hospital or even die from ingesting the wrong mushroom. In this guide, I hope to help wash away some of that fear, and replace it with helpful knowledge that will lead to happy magic mushroom hunting. Some Thoughts Before Planning a Hunt Before venturing outside and collecting anything you suspect to be a magic mushroom, you should first ask yourself if you should do it at all. Magic mushroom hunting may lead to disappointment (if you are unable to locate any), exhaustion, and accidental poisoning if you’re not careful. The laws vary from country to country, so before planning anything, make sure it is not against the law to pick the mushrooms you’re wishing to find. Although there may be many reasons you might want to search for free magic mushrooms as opposed to other methods of obtaining them, hunting for mushrooms does require some effort mentally and physically. What To Bring for Magic Mushroom Identification The first part of magic mushroom hunting a beginner should take notice of is how important making an accurate identification is. The amount of information required by a mushroom hunter to make an accurate magic mushroom identification could take forever to write about, so this guide is to be taken in conjunction with a thorough field guide. A great guide you can use to identify mushrooms easily is the Hallucinogenic and Poisonous Mushroom Field Guide by Gary P. Menser. Not only will a field guide make magic mushroom identification more convenient, but is essential to ensuring your hunt is safe and lawful. Three other objects you might want to bring with you include a magnifying glass, a plastic bag (to carry the mushrooms in), and a piece of paper if you’re planning on doing spore prints (more on this later) in the field instead of at home. The Basics of Magic Mushroom Hunting If you’re going to hunt magic mushrooms, you need to know exactly what you’re looking for. Identifying a mushroom down to its species can be extremely difficult, even for a seasoned mushroom hunter; a microscope is often necessary to make a concrete identification. So for our purposes, we’re going to focus on the mushroom’s genus. Knowing the genus is usually enough to keep the hunter safe from accidental poisonings, but a field book can make this a little easier. The best way to know the genus of a mushroom is by combining knowledge about its physical attributes as well as the information from its spore print. The Mushroom and Its Habitat In order to successfully locate psychedelic mushrooms, we need to know when mushrooms go, where they can be found, and what they are found growing out of. If we were to hypothetically find a mushroom right now, we would need to make a note of how the mushroom is growing. Is it clumped together in a group, attached at the base together, or growing separately or alone? We would at this stage need to pick the hypothetical mushroom to get a better observation. The Mushroom Up Close We should be taking mental notes into some of its qualities after picking it. How large is it? What color is it? Anything about its odor stand out? What’s its texture; is it slimy or dry? Is it brittle or tough? What does the cap and stem look like? Does it have gills under the cap? Are they tightly packed together or are they spaced out? Is it staining any color where it’s damaged? Even an accomplished hunter can have difficulty differentiating between mushrooms with these preliminary questions. That’s why the next step is one of the most important when identifying a magic mushroom. Taking a Spore Print When you bring a mushroom home and wish to make a spore print, separate the cap from the stem with a knife. Place the cap on a clean piece of paper, with the gills facing the paper. If you suspect the mushroom produces white spores, you can place it on a dark piece of paper to see them more easily. In about 30 minutes, remove the cap and take a look at the color of the spores that have dropped to the paper from the cap. This is the mushroom’s spore print, one of the most important processes we can use to check the identity of the mushroom. Very few macroscopic features are as accurate as the spore print when needing to find out what kind of mushroom you’ve picked. The spore print varies from genus to genus, and can be one of many different colors. A spore print is fairly accurate for identifying a genus, but is not nearly as accurate if you’re wanting a species identification. They, like any other single attribute taken, are not enough to make a safe call singlehandedly. Getting to the spore print phase is important, and you’ve done a lot of work to get to this place. The Hunt The Genus Psilocybe Some interesting chemicals that have in some way or another brought you to this guide are psilocin and psilocybin (the latter turns into the former), the main psychoactive chemicals of these mushrooms. Psilocin attaches to the serotonin receptors in your brain. These cause the incredible psychedelic effects that have made magic mushrooms a staple of counter culture. Indeed, mushrooms create a wide range of chemicals, and all are worth knowing about and watching out for when searching for your mushrooms. We’re going to explore some psychedelic mushroom species within the genus psilocybe. The process for identifying magic mushrooms in the wild is not for the simple-minded, and will take some patience. You are going to need common sense and deductive reasoning when out in the field. Where to Start Looking It’s always best to define your search before embarking on a magic mushroom hunt. You must remember that you may never find the mushroom you’ve set out to collect, and that it requires some patience and planning. The basic description for a mushroom in the genus psilocybe is that they are small, brown, and gilled. They are usually found in lawns, wood chip piles, mulch, and soils. These mushrooms can contain Psilocybin, Psilocin, and Baeocystin and will usually exhibit a bluish discoloration (from oxidation) where bruised or damaged. Like most other mushrooms, members of the genus psilocybe are found in areas with high annual rainfall and relatively high humidity. They can also be found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions on every continent except Antarctica, which is great since that probably includes you. Since covering all of these areas would be almost impossible for a guide like this, we’re going to be covering the urban, temperate area varieties during our search. This type of area is where changes in seasonal temperature varies greatly and the amount of sunlight varies greatly as well. Areas that receive some snow are common for this zone. In our guide, urban would mean a disturbed habitat, including landscaped territories, lawns, enriched soils, decorative wood chips and bark, and yard waste. The best place to look for these mushrooms is around the base of small trees and shrubs, and along the shady drip lines of buildings and fences. Basically the best place is anywhere there is adequate moisture and objects that prevent the loss of moisture, such as leaves, walls, and branches. When to Start Looking We might think that hot, dry summers would adversely affect this temperate mushroom’s lifecycle, but they actually seem to cue species to expand their mycelium and get ready to fruit. When the temperatures start falling and rainfall begins to become more frequent, that’s when the action really starts. Though mushrooms grow at different times of the year, the vast majority of temperate mushrooms (including psilocybes) fruit primarily in autumn and into early winter. Three Examples to Help Narrow Your Search Some of the following information is drawn from the Hallucinogenic and Poisonous Mushroom Field Guide by Gary P. Menser. This field book will be extremely handy in making judgement calls regarding the mushrooms you pick. Although the species listed as examples below are primarily found in the Pacific Northwest, there are definitely many other species you will be able to find in your area with a little work and research. Psilocybe Baeocystis Another example is Psilocybe baeocystis, a variably potent hallucinogenic mushroom species also found in the Pacific Northwest. As many as fifty or sixty are usually found clumped together. They are often called Bottlecaps. The Cap It’s cap (Pileus) is conical to convex, and is distinctly rippled. Its color around the edges becomes bruised as it ages, and looks dark olive brown to steel blue. It’s also hygrophanous, turing milk white. It kind of resembles a lawn umbrella. Size 1.5-5.5 cm cap, 5-7 cm long, 2-3 mm wide stem. Color A very important clue to identifying this mushroom is a small brown area that appears at the center of the cap when drying. It also bruises very easily. Stem The stem is often seen as having twisting bends. Gills It has close, fragile gills that are gray to brownish. Spore Print Purplish brown. Main Location Pacific Northwest. Psilocybe Stuntzii Although almost all magic mushrooms you’ll find will be during autumn (in the northern hemisphere), the following example species can be found in spring and autumn in the Pacific Northwest, Psilocybe stuntzii. It is small, weakly hallucinogenic, and common in the regions it is found. They are often called Blue Ringers, from bruising that may come from the veil breaking from the stem. The Cap It’s cap (Pileus) is conical to convex when younger, and expanding to a flat to umbonate as it ages. Its hygrophanous, and has a smooth, radial margin. Size 1-4 cm cap, 3-8 cm long, 1-5 mm wide stem. Surface Smooth, covered in a whitish material. Color It is usually chestnut brown, hygrophanous, and gets lighter the closer you get towards the center. Its cap can be olive-green to pale yellow brown. After aging or bruising, it turns bluish or greenish in the affected areas. Stem The stem is straight and narrow, with a whitish color that stains bluish or brownish. It has a distinct ring that stains blue. It is sometimes stained by the spores that fall from the gills. Gills It has spaced, fragile chocolate brown or purple (sometimes darker violet) gills with whitish edges (when younger). Spore Print Dark purplish. Main Location Oregon to British Columbia. Psilocybe Cyanescens One of the most potent hallucinogenic species is Psilocybe cyanescens. Luckily, this incredible species is distinct and easier to identify than others because of its wavy cap. The Cap It’s cap (Pileus) is flat, and is distinctly wavy when mature. It’s also hygrophanous. Size 1.5-5 cm cap. Color It turns from a caramel brown when moist to pale buff to yellowish when dry. It also bruises very easily on the stem, turning the distinct bluish greenish color other psilocybes are known for. Stem The stem is whitish, and a bit thicker than other species. Spore Print Light brown to dark purple. Main Location Pacific Northwest. Dangerous Mushrooms Of the many thousands of species of mushrooms, only about a hundred within the United States and Europe are known to be poisonous, and of these, about a dozen are considered deadly. Among the poisonous species, the toxins vary widely in chemical structure and effects. From Ibotenic Acid (which can cause fever-like delusions, sweating, and muscular paralysis), to Amatoxins (which can cause renal failure and usually death), these toxins are one of the main reasons one should be extremely cautious when out magic mushroom hunting. Another reason to be very careful in the field is because many of these toxic mushrooms grow in the exact same conditions as our magic mushrooms. Some of them look very similar to psilocybe, but their spore prints can help you steer clear of these dangerous mushrooms. Try to stay away from mushrooms that give you a brown, rusty, or white spore print. Some poisonous mushrooms have a purple-brown spore print like the Psilocybes described above, so it’s always vital to make note of several characteristics before ingesting. Most good field books will list these common dangerous species in addition to the psychedelic mushrooms you’ll be looking for on your journey. One of the main species responsible for the most accidental poisonings is Amanita phalloides. This mushroom resembles other safe mushrooms, which is probably the reason it gets confused by people. Although this mushroom probably look like the magic mushrooms you’ll be hunting for in your area, it is a good idea to keep away from this one. What To Do With Your Psychedelic Mushrooms Once you’ve managed to find some psychedelic mushrooms and are completely positive they are the kind you were looking for, it’s time to get to the fun part. Should I Dry Them or Leave Them Be? Consuming psychedelic mushrooms will have the same effect whether dried or not. The main reason people decide to dry mushrooms is to preserve them and prevent them from growing mold, which can be dangerous. If you decide to leave them alone and just ingest them, make sure you wash them and consume them fairly quickly (within 3-5 days ideally, longer if kept in a refrigerator). If you are unable to consume them after picking, drying them will be your best bet. How to Dry Mushrooms and Save Them for Later Even if you don’t plan to dry mushrooms more than once a year, it is probably a great idea to find a dehydrator. They aren’t expensive at all, especially if you can find one used. If you’re not able to obtain one of these, fan-drying them will do just fine. In order to fan dry them, you will need a piece of wax paper to set the mushrooms on, and face the fan towards them. The fan speed should be enough to remove the moisture, but not too fast that the mushrooms might roll away from the drying surface. This should take a day or two. Although this will get them mostly dry, a great way to get them cracker-dry is to purchase some desiccant. If you use the desiccant in an enclosed space (such as a large tupperware container), they will be dry in no time. Be very careful not to let the mushrooms come in contact with the desiccant. The dry mushrooms will be much smaller than their size when picked, as 90% of the mushroom is water. After drying your magic mushrooms, you can store them for quite a while in a sealed plastic bag or container. Mushroom Recipes Delicious psychedelic tea! Mushrooms are versatile when it comes to cooking, and can be used in a huge amount of recipes. This includes toppings for pizzas and salads, paste for magic mushroom soups and broths, and psychedelic honey, tea, and chocolate. If you’d rather just ingest them or don’t have time or money to cook, you can always use the mushrooms mixed inside a peanut butter sandwich to get past the chalky and sometimes bitter taste. Do you have any amazing recipes you’d like to share or think we should write about?
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 23:46:09 +0000
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