Shroom hunting Mushroom ID: A Beginning

[Heretic.Ape.]

Introduction

So you found some little brown mushrooms and you're wondering if they are "magic". Before trying to post a picture of your specimen in hopes that someone will be able to tell you what it is, don't bother. Mushroom identification online (especially with just a picture and brief description) is not only pretty much impossible but is very dangerous.

I hope to make this thread a decent place to start for those who are new to mushrooms, for the many who come along asking "are these magic mushrooms?" This begins, in a very basic way, to show what is involved in identifying mushrooms from macroscopic features, so that

a) you can see that it's not as simple as posting a picture on the net to get an identification, and

b) you can learn how to go about gaining the more extensive knowledge necissary, that this simple thread will be unable to cover.

Additions and comments are always welcomed.


Stamets’ two basic rules for psilocybin identification:

1) The gilled mushroom has purplish brown to black spores

2) The mushroom bruises bluish


“I know of no exceptions to this rule, but that does not mean there are none! If you have a mushroom that bruises bluish but does not have purplish brown to black spores, there is a strong possibility it is NOT psilocybin. The bluing reaction is obvious in the more potent species, especially those high in psilocin. In general, the less psilocin there is in a species, the more subtle the bluing reaction. Be VERY careful, and ALWAYS, before ingesting any mushroom, be sure of its identification. Always retain some specimens for later analysis, in case it becomes necessary [AKA you end up in the hospital--H.A.].”

(Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World, Paul Stamets (1996). Ten Speed Press, Berkley California)


The spore print

Taking a spore print is one of the easiest things you’ll ever do. Just cut off the cap of the mushroom in question, place it gills down on a plain white piece of paper, and let it sit for about a day. It is usually recommended that you put a jar or glass or something over it to ward off ill winds and dehydration, as well as to avoid contaminants. Keep in mind that saying a spore print is a particular color is sort of a subjective experience.

Here are some examples of spore prints:



Spore prints can also be used for growing your own mushrooms. There is plenty of info elsewhere in the forum on that so do a search if you’re interested.

Here a couple threads that have caught my eye so far:

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=857

This shows a method for making a spore solution from a shroom

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=852

This talks about prints and making spore syringes

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10683

This is an overall reference to growing



Bluing Reaction

This is more tricky. The genral rule is that the more potent the specimen, the more bluing, or bruising, when handled. However, this is not always very noticeable, and some mushies that look like they are bruised are not psilocybes. SWIM grew some mighty fine Cubes a few years back and never noticed any such reaction.

It is said that the bluing reaction can be tested by using "metol", a chemical used in photographic developing.

“"Metol" can be legally purchased from any camera and photographic supply outlet. Mix 1 part Metol with 20 parts water. Place the stem of the suspected mushroom in a "metol" solution and wait for approximately 1/2 hour. If the solution turns blue, you have actually collected a mushroom containing Psilocybin. (Allen)”

(verified by fellow d-f member here: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31284 )


Getting Started

Before I go on let me just say this: get a book, no get several, on mushroom ID. Stamets’ book is good and I’d recommend Arora’s Mushrooms Demystified, as well as perhaps the Audabon Societies field guide. Get as many as you can if you are going to be picking mushrooms because the mushroom you find will rarely look just like that one picture in that one book. Also, don’t just go by picture! Learn the relevant terminology so you can use a taxonomic identification key. Eating wild mushrooms is dangerous and should only be practiced by those who are willing to put in the time to learn how not to get themselves hurt or killed.

Here are some recommended books on hunting and identification (buying through the links helps out the forum ).


The best thing that you can do to gain knowledge of mushrooms and identification is to join your local mycology club, where you can meet others who know their stuff and where you can get some hands on experience with hunting and identification.

Pick several specimens and take them home for rigorous examination until very sure of identification. Once your labrat is sure he's got a good specimen on his hands, why not use the spore print of that nice thoroughly verified specimen to grow a fresh batch (see above links on sporeprints and growing)? Not only will this reduce risk of eating a possibly infected/infested mushroom but that lucky rat will then have an ongoing source of fun fungi! This may seem a little paranoid and overkill but caution is always the best policy with these matters. As Nag is fond of saying, there are old mushroom hunters and there are brave mushroom hunters, but no old and brave mushroom hunters. Or something to that effect. We’d like to go for the two-way rather than one-way ticket to the old spirit world.

Please take a look at this thread on poisoning before going on to get an idea of the horrible painful sickness and/or death that is possible due to ingesting the wrong mushrooms.

Now, with that in mind, on to more identification discussion.



Identification Key

This key is taken from Arora’s book.

Psilocybes, the major group containing psolocybin, is a member of the strophariaceae family. This family has brown to purple-brown, purple-black spores and has attached gills. The veil is usually present but does not necessarily form an annulus (ring) on the stalk.

To use the key you just look at number one (there are two of them, as well as two of all numbers) and decide which one best fits your specimen. It will tell you where to go from there like a choose you own adventure book.

Key to Strophariaceae

1. Spore print dull brown to cinnamon-brown…………………............pholiota
1. Spore print puple-brown to purple-gray, purple-black, or black……2

2. Lower portion of stalk and/or other parts of fruiting body
staining blue or green when handled (sometimes slowly).............psilocybe
2. Not as above (but cap may be blue or blue-green to begin with)..3

3. Growing on dung or manure…..………………..................................4
3. Not as above (but may grow in grass)…………………………...............6

4. Cap white to yellow, yellow-brown, or pale tan…………………………...5
4. Cap darker (orange-brown to reddish-brown, grayish-brown,
dark brown)…........................................... ...........................psilocybe

5. Spore print black; cap white to buff or very pale tan……………….panaeolus
5. Spore print purple-brown to purple-black; cap usually yellowish or darker
.................................................. .....................................stopharia

6. Veil membranous or cottony-membranous, usually forming a
distinct ring (annulus) on stalk……………...................................stropharia
6. Veil absent, or if present then fibrillose and disappearing or
merely forming a fibrillose zone on stalk......................................7

7. Cap small (usually less than 4 cm broad), viscid
when moist, some shade of brown, gray, dull olive, buff, or if
whitish then usually narrowly conical or bell-shaped………............psilocybe
7. If not as above then it’s either a stropharia or
naemotoloma



Psilocybin mushrooms

The Psilocybe and Paneaolus families are home to the largest number of psilocybin/psilocin containing species but many of the mushrooms in these families do not actually contain psilocybin/psilocin so you will want an in depth guide, although bluing is usually a pretty good sign.

They usually have a separable pellicle (skin) on the cap (you can see this by peeling open the cap of a fresh specimen), they have caps nut brown in color which fade from the center to a straw color while drying, their gill edges are usually fringed whitish. Habitats are usually grasslands (common home of the popular and widespread psilocybe semilanceata, aka liberty cap), dung deposits (the popular Psilocybe cubensis are among those growing on dung, notably that of bovine animals), riparian zones, disturbed habitats, gardens (Psilocybe Cyanescens, a nice potent species, are quite fond of rhododendron bushes), moss lands, and woodlands. (Stamets).


Before attempting to eat any mushrooms make sure to familiarize yourself with deadly look-alikes such as the galerina, et cetera (see several posts down). Make sure your analysis is thorough.


I will add more to this as I have time, hopefully going into different psilocybin containing species (perhaps a taxonomic key) as well as looking at some of the dangerous look alikes. Please feel free to add as much info as you care to, add anything I’ve overlooked, and point out any mistakes.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	A comprehensive guide
	very good thread, you may want to correct the spelling of "Stamets" (not "Stemets") at the beginning...
	great info!
	What an excellent guide. Thanks.
	An excellent guide. Exactly the sort of information people need.