Drug info - Rickenella Fibula

[Phungushead]

Rickenella Fibula

Taxonomy
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Basidiomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Tricholomataceae
Genus: Rickenella
Species: R. fibula

Please post all information regarding rickenella fibula here.

Under the microscope, Rickenella fibula is incredibly distinct, since it is covered with long, cylindric cystidia--but to the naked eye, it is a tiny orange mushroom with many look-alikes. If you squint real hard, you will see that the gills run down the stem, which will (theoretically) eliminate many possibilities, including species of Mycena and Marasmius. The fact that it grows gregariously in moss beds is another crucial clue to its identity, and will help to separate it from species of Xeromphalina, which grow in dense clusters (often numbering in the hundreds) on wood.
In the end, however, several tiny orange species with white spore prints are frustratingly similar, including miniature versions of Cantharellus minor, Hygrocybe cantharellus, and others. Most of these look-alikes are a little bit larger than Rickenella fibula, but you may find that a microscope is needed to be sure of your identification.




Description:
Ecology: Possibly saprobic but apparently involved in some sort of mutualism with moss; growing alone, scattered, or gregariously in moss beds; early summer through early winter; widely distributed in North America.

Cap: Up to 1.5 cm across; convex, becoming broadly convex or somewhat centrally depressed; tacky; fairly smooth; the margin lined, inrolled at first and usually remaining so; orange or yellowish orange when fresh, often fading to buff.

Gills: Running down the stem; close or nearly distant; sometimes with cross-veins; whitish or creamy.

Stem: Up to 5 cm long and almost 2 mm thick; more or less equal; dry; very finely hairy; colored like the cap.

Flesh: Insubstantial; pale.

Odor and Taste: Not distinctive

Spore Print: White.

Microscopic Features: Spores 4-6 x 2-2.5 µ; smooth; elliptical; inamyloid. Cystidia present on gills, cap, and stem apex; 36-90 x 6-14 µ; cylindric or nearly spindle-shaped.

Mycena fibula, Omphalia fibula, Gerronema fibula, and Omphalina fibula are synonyms.
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This mushroom species is questionable regarding psilocybin and related alkaloid content.


A WORLDWIDE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEUROTROPIC FUNGI, AN ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Gastón Guzmán, John W. Allen and Jochen Gartz

Recently, some chemical studies on species of neurotropic fungi show the presence of psilocybin or other indole metabolites in these fungi, yet also cause confusion in identifying indole properties in mushrooms which are not neurotropic (Becker et al., 1988; Besl, 1994; Christiansen et al., 1984; Gartz, 1985a, b, c, 1986a, b, d, 1987a, c, 1989a, b, c, 1991b, 1995a; Gurevich, 1993; Koike et al., 1981; Kreisel and Lindequist, 1988; Semerdzieva et al., 1986; Stijve, 1987; Stijve and Bonnard, 1986; Stijve et al., 1985 and Takemoto et al., 1964a, b, c). However, several studies must be considered doubtful because of erroneous analysis, as pointed out by Ott (1993) and Stijve (1995). Bresinsky and Besl (1990) considered those studies on the hallucinogenic principles of Stropharia cyanea (Bolt. ex Secr.) Tuomikoski [also known as Psilocybe caerulea (Kreisel) Noordeloos] and Stropharia caerulea Kreisel [Psilocybe caerulea (Kreisel) Noordeloos] (Noordeloos, 1995), S. coronilla (Bull. : Fr.) Quél., Mycena pura (Pers. : Fr.) P. Kumm. and Amanita gemmata (Fr.) Bertillan to be doubtful. Samorini (1989) pointed out the same with Mycena pura. Stijve and Kuyper (1988) did not find psilocybin in Psathyrella candolleana (Fr.) Maire, Rickenella swartzii (Fr.) Kuyp., Gerronema fibula, Gymnopilus fulgens, G. spectabilis, Hygrocybe psittacina (Fr.) P. Karst. and H. psitaccina var. californica Hesler & A.H. Sm. Stivje and Meijer (1993) failed to find psilocybin and other psilocybian compounds in Gymnopilus spp., Panaeolina foenisecii and Rickenella straminea (Petch) Pegler.

Section 21 of the Drugs Act 2005 (UK) lists this mushroom as:

Suspected of containing Psilocin or its esters so possibly as a Class A Drug.

REFERENCES:

(Bulliard, 1784) Raithelhuber, 1973. (Fries, 1821; Saccardo, 1887; Smith, 1947; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Barron, 1999; McNeil, 2006; Miller & Miller, 2006.) Herb. Kuo 05169501, 05260302, 05040702.

Kuo, M. (2005, March). Rickenella fibula. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/rickenella_fibula.html