Psilocybe pelliculosa

Psilocybe pelliculosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Hymenogastraceae
Genus: Psilocybe
Species:
P. pelliculosa
Binomial name
Psilocybe pelliculosa
(A.H.Sm.) Singer & A.H.Sm. (1958)
Synonyms
  • Psathyra pelliculosa A.H.Sm. (1937)
Psilocybe pelliculosa
Mycological characteristics
Gills on hymenium
Cap is conical or campanulate
Hymenium is adnate or seceding
Stipe is bare
Spore print is purple-brown
Ecology is saprotrophic
Edibility is psychoactive

Psilocybe pelliculosa is a species of fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae. The fruit bodies, or mushrooms, have a conical brownish cap up to 2 cm (34 in) in diameter atop a slender stem up to 8 cm (3+18 in) long. It has a white partial veil that does not leave a ring on the stem. American mycologist Alexander H. Smith first described the species in 1937 as a member of the genus known today as Psathyrella; it was transferred to Psilocybe by Rolf Singer in 1958.

Psilocybe pelliculosa is found in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada, where it grows on the ground in groups or clusters along trails or forest roads in coniferous woods. A single collection has also been reported from Finland, and also in Norway. The mushrooms contain the psychedelic compounds psilocybin and baeocystin, although at relatively low concentrations. Several mushroom species that are similar in appearance to P. pelliculosa can be distinguished by subtle differences in the form of the fruit body, or by microscopic characteristics.