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Psilocybe semilanceata belongs to the family Hymenogasteraceae and the genus Psilocybe. Its other names:
- mushroom umbrella or liberty cap, fun;
- sharp conical bald spot;
- Psilocybe papillary;
- agaricus semilanceolate, since 1818;
- Paneolus semilanceolate, since 1936
Psilocybe semilanceolate resembles a bell on a thin stalk
What fun mushrooms look like
Describing the appearance of the fungus mushroom, mycologists note its ability to change the color of the cap depending on weather conditions and habitat. During the dry season, the tops of the fruiting bodies appear as bright golden-copper decorations.
Psilocybe semilanceolate is distinguished by a sharp tubercle in the center of the cap
Description of the cap
Psilocybe semilanceolate has a characteristic bell-shaped cap with a nipple-cone at the top. The edges are smooth, straight, and may be slightly tucked inward. As they grow older, the cap straightens, becoming umbrella-shaped or straight. The diameter ranges from 0.5 to 2.5 cm, while the height is almost 2 times the width. The radial scars of the hymenophore plates are clearly visible through the thin skin.
The surface is smooth, slightly velvety, slimy in wet weather, and when dry, the skin at the edges becomes wrinkled. In young specimens it is easily separated from the pulp. The color is uneven; along the edges there is often a dark stripe of irregular shape. Color from golden to brown-brown, soft straw, dark chocolate. There are specimens with an olive or bluish surface.
Psilocybe semilanceolate (as in the photo) has sparse, non-adherent, large plates. Grayish, yellow-brown or brown in color, in mature specimens they acquire violet-blue and black shades, the edge is white-gray.The pulp is thin, fragile, dirty yellowish or white. At the break it has a distinct moldy smell of rotted hay. The taste is neutral, unexpressed.
Characteristic bell-shaped cap
Description of the leg
Psilocybe semilanceolate has a thin, straight or slightly curved stalk with an internal cavity. The surface is smooth, dry, covered with sparse white scales, especially noticeable in the root part. Color varies from white-gray to brown-brown and almost black. The pulp is highly fibrous and elastic. The length can be up to 12 cm, exceeding the size of the cap by five times.
The stems of these fruiting bodies are fibrous, resistant to tearing and breaking.
Where does semilanceolate psilocybe grow in Russia?
The fungus is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Psilocybe semilanceolata grows even in the forest-tundra, thriving in the permafrost zone. In temperate latitudes it bears fruit abundantly from August to January. Also, Psilocybe semilanceolate is often found in the Vladimir region, Siberia, and the Far East. In the central regions of Russia, Leningrad region and Perm region.
Sometimes found singly, but often grows in families
Psilocybe semilanceolate grows in the Moscow region on meadows mown by autumn, floodplain lowlands, and overgrown swamps.
How fun mushrooms grow
Psilocybe semilanceolate loves grassy meadows, pastures, spacious forest glades, old parks and clearings. Prefers wet places: banks of reservoirs, artificially irrigated fields and lawns, old swamps.Undemanding to the composition and fertility of the soil, does not like excessively manured places.
Psilocybe semilanceolata fruits most actively from October to December. For development and growth, a temperature of 8-10 degrees Celsius and rainy, humid weather is enough for it. It forms a stable symbiosis with cereal grasses, so it is not found in the forest.
What can Psilocybe semilanceolata be confused with?
Psilocybe semilanceolate differs from its counterparts in the original structure of the leg. If you roll it in your fingers, it becomes thread-like, slightly rubbery, and does not break or crumble.
Konocibe is tender. Inedible. It is distinguished by the brown-chocolate color of the hymenophore plates; the leg has clearly palpable longitudinal scars.
Its cap is rounded-cone-shaped, without pronounced tubercles.
Paneolus blue. Inedible. Its cap is creamy-sand or beige in color, becoming lighter with age; the plates are dark purple, almost black.
Distinct bluish spots appear on the cap
Paneolus ligamentum. Inedible. Can be recognized by a white concentric stripe. It has an umbrella-shaped shape and a brown-brown cap color. The plates are dark, chocolate-ocher.
Its leg is whitish-beige, with a slight bluish tint, often covered with white or dark scales
Sulfur head. Inedible. Psilocybe semilanceolate is very similar to it at a young age. You can distinguish it by its more spherical cap, without a pronounced bump in the center.
Overgrown specimens have flat or arching cup-shaped caps that are sandy brown in color.
Effects of Psilocybe semilanceolata on the body
Consciousness-altering fruiting bodies have been known to mankind since ancient times.Psilocybe semilanceolata contains the highest concentration of the psychoactive substance psilocin of all fruiting bodies known to science.
The concentration of the hallucinogen may vary depending on the place of growth and weather conditions, so there is no exact data on the maximum permissible doses of this mushroom for humans. Much depends on the state of health, body weight and susceptibility.
Psilocybe semilanceolate: consequences of consumption
The psychoactive effect of the psilocin contained in mushrooms is called a “trip.” The effect begins 15-50 minutes after administration and lasts for 2-8 hours. The initial sensations are unpleasant, then hallucinations begin.
- The person experiences chills, a burning sensation or pins and needles on the skin, nausea, dilated pupils and blurred vision.
- Further, consciousness becomes darkened, auditory and visual hallucinations appear, and the sense of oneself in space is lost. These changes are not always positive. There are often cases when taking a hallucinogen only intensified the depressive state, plunging into despondency.
- The aftereffect lasts up to a day. The person is relaxed, absolutely indifferent to external stimuli, which cannot but affect his studies, work and personal life.
Regular use of psilocin leads not only to mental disorders, but also to disturbances in the functioning of internal organs:
- problems of the cardiovascular system worsen, the risk of myocardial infarction increases;
- the liver and kidneys are worn out and can no longer cope with removing toxins from the body;
- Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are destroyed.
In Western medical practices, treatment with psilocin contained in fungus mushrooms is used in the following cases:
- with loss or weakening of memory, anxiety and depression;
- during attacks of paranoia, schizophrenia;
- regular painful migraines.
During prolonged heat treatment, the psilocin contained in the fruiting bodies is destroyed, making them safe
Responsibility for collection and distribution
Psilocybe semilanceolata is prohibited for distribution on the territory of the Russian Federation and in a number of foreign countries. The ban covers the following cases:
- collection in any territory, cultivation in artificial conditions;
- distribution in natural, dried, powder, boiled form;
- advertising and promotion of the use of products from this fruiting body;
- exchange, sale and donation of myceliums.
In case of proven abuses, punishment follows in the form of a fine, correctional labor, or criminal liability.
Conclusion
Psilocybe semilanceolata contains a number of psychoactive substances: psilocin, psilocybin, baeocystin, norbaeocystin, and is prohibited for distribution and collection in Russia. It is found everywhere in the northern and temperate latitudes of the Russian Federation, in Ukraine, Belarus, America, and Europe. Also found in India and Australia. Loves moist grassy areas, feels great in the winter season, retarding growth in frosts and continuing to develop at +10.Psilocybe semilanceolata is very similar to other types of hallucinogenic mushrooms that grow in the same regions, so inexperienced collectors often confuse them. In the West, psilocin, which contains Psilocybe semilanceolate, is officially recognized as a medicine for certain problems of the nervous system.
Psilocybe semilanceolata causes drug addiction. Sustainable cravings appear after 5-6 techniques. Long-term use leads to negative changes in the psyche and deterioration of the general condition of the body.
