Cap: (.5) 1-3 (1.5) cm broad. Conic, expanding to campanulate at maturity, and often umbonate. When moist, surface smooth, slightly striate near the margin, which is often adorned with minute remnants of the partial veil. Reddish brown to brownish olivaceous, hygrophanous, fading to beige or dirty yellowish orange from the disc, occasionally with blackish tones. Flesh pale brown, bruising bluish.
Gills: Attachment adnexed, pale brown to dark purplish brown, thin, with whitish edges.
Stem: 15-30 mm broad by 1-2 mm thick. Equal to slightly swelling at the base from which white mycelium radiates. Yellowish at first, soon reddish brown with maturity, often retaining whitish patches near the base. Flesh reddish brown, bruising bluish where injured. Partial veil cortinate, fragile, soon disappearing in age.
Microscopic features: Spores dark purplish brown in deposit, subellipsoid in side view, rhomboid to subrhomboid In face view, 5-6.5 (8) by 3.5-5.5 µ. Basidia 4-spored. Pleurocystidia absent or only near to the gill edge. Cheilocystidia 12-17 by 4.5-5µ, fusoid-ventricose with elongated necks, 3.3-5 by 1-2.5 µ.
Habit, habitat, and distribution: Solitary to gregarious, infrequently cespitose, in soils rich in woody debris, in humus, and sometimes on clay soils. Found along trails, shady banks, and in coffee plantations. Discovered by Dr. Thiers in Florida Highlands Hammock State Park). Also reported from Jamaica, Mexico, and Bolivia.
Comments: Guaman et at. (1993) reports that this species is active, although no analyses are cited. The classic bluing reaction leaves little doubt about its activity, although estimation of potency would be purely speculative. This mushroom is probably widely distributed throughout much of Florida but goes unrecognized by most hunters of the more massive psilocybe cubensis.
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