Did You Know That Psilocybin Mushrooms Are Rare?

Psilocybin is an alkaloid found in the fruits of some fungi. These fungi are rare in the wild requiring skill to find.

There are various mushroom genus that contain psilocybin namely Psilocybe, Gymnopilus, Inocybe, Galerina, Pluteus, Copelandia and Panaeolus. However, not all mushrooms in a genus necessarily contain psilocybin, in fact often only a few mushroom types within a genus will contain psilocybin.

When biologists talk about a genus, they mean one or more species of animals or plants that are closely related to each other.

What is very interesting is that mushrooms within a genus that contain psilocybin are all non-toxic to humans. This is fascinating especially when we look at the genus Galerina, which is full of deadly poisonous mushrooms, except for one psilocybin containing mushroom namely Galerina Steglichii. Then there is Inocybe, which is a generally a toxic genus, yet it has two mushroom types containing psilocybin, both of which are completely edible.

By far the largest contingent of psilocybin species can be found in the genus Psilocybe, which has over 200 species containing the medicinal compound – psilocybin. At Psyence the mushrooms we grow come from this genus, namely Psilocybe cubensis. Psilocybe cubensis is a species of psychedelic mushrooms whose principal active compounds are psilocybin and psilocin.

Psilocybin containing fungi may be rare but their medicinal properties make them worth seeking out.