Psilocybe Cubensis is a genus of mushrooms belonging to the mushroom family. In Poland it is known as Cuban coot. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. This is due to the fact that they are coprophilous fungi so thanks to livestock farming their population is growing significantly.
Cuban Coot:
Psilocybe Cubensis - characteristics
Psilocybe cubensis previously known as Singer is a species of psychedelic fungi in the Hymenogastraceae family. They are coprophilous fungi, which means that they thrive on animal feces like dung. They are one of the groups of saprotrophic fungi. Their classification heading according to Index Fungorum is Hymenogastraceae, Agaricales, Agaricomycetidae, Agaricomycetes, Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota, Fungi. They were first discovered in 1906 by Franklin Sumner Earle, who gave them the name Stropharia cubensis. The current name recognized by Index Fungorum was given to them by Rolf Singer, which took place in 1948.
Psyilocybe Cubesis - how to recognize it?
The hat has a dimension of about 10 cm. It is wide and conical, but there is also an oval or bell-shaped variety. As it grows and becomes mature, the Cuban weasel expands its hat, and mature specimens can be recognized by the humped surface of the veil. The color of these mushrooms can be described as white with a brown or yellow center, but can also be yellow in color. With aging it becomes gray or blue-green.
The imprints of its spores are dark brown, but can also be black. They are smooth, thick-walled.
The lamellae are appressed, but can also detach from the surface of the hat. The stalk is 4 to 15 cm long, while its thickness is 0.4 to 1.5 cm. The stem is dry white, but can also be yellow. The seedpod is mud-colored, but it can also occur in white or be tinted blue. It forms a thin, delicate ring on the stalk, which becomes dark as the spores fall. The mycelium is rhizomorphic white.
Cuban weasel - systematics and natural habitats
Domain - eukaryotes
Kingdom - mushrooms
Type - basalts
Class - mushrooms
Government mushrooms
Family - Subterraneans
Type - coot
Species - Psilocybe Cubensis
Cuban weasel is a coprophilous fungus that reproduces on dung. It often colonizes on the feces of large herbivores such as cows and goats. It prefers humid tracts, but also occurs in tropical or even subtropical environments. It can be found in the highlands but also in the valleys of Argentina, Colombia or Ecuador, but lives wild in the United States of America or Thailand Cambodia or India. It thrives in environments where humidity is above 85%, and where grassland mammals live. The weasel thrives well on the dung of herbivorous animals, which is due to the fact that there is little stomach acid in it. So fungi can germinate in the stomach of a cow, for example. This species of fungus grows very well in any manure.
Cultivation
Cuban weasel is quite easy to grow. It produces a very rhizomorphic mycelium. As a result, it also fructifies very well on a wide variety of substrates without a covering layer. It also shows resistance to very different temperatures, but it fruits better at lower temperatures. This ideal one for fruiting is 20-22.2°C. It also fructifies better in an environment where humidity is maximum, which is 100%. It also thrives very well on a substrate of rye seeds, but also flour and brown rice or even vermiculite. Straw, coconut fiber or manure can also be used, including worm cast fertilizers. The crop does not have to be in the sun. THIS IS NOT AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO GROW - IT IS ONLY EDUCATIONAL< THEORETICAL INFORMATION. WE DO NOT ENCOURAGE AND EVEN DISCOURAGE MUSHROOM FARMING ALSO IN COUNTRIES WHERE IT IS ALLOWED.
Psychoactive effects
Psilocybe Cubensis is a psychedelic mushroom that exhibits strong hallucinogenic effects. Its main psychoactive components are Psilocin, Psylocybin, Baeocystin, Norbaeocystin. Psilocin and psilocybin were isolated by the Albert Hofmann in 1958 from a related species, P. Mexicana, which, however, exhibited less psychoactive effects.
The most popular varieties
Among the most popular varieties are Psilocybe cubensis Mazatapec, Golden Teacher or a variation of McKennaii. The former owes its name to the town of Mazatapec. It is easy to grow, while it no longer develops as quickly as, for example, the McKennaii variety. Both are characterized by a very nice mycelium. But of course, like all other species of Cuban Lysica, they develop best in high humidity.