Welcome to my Race/Variety/Strain Journal.
This is where we discuss 'Strains'.

Please read any pertinent information in these first THREE posts before asking about any cube 'Strain'.

If you have already read the first three posts of this thread, start posting. If not, read on.

If you have anything factual to add, see something that is incorrect or missing entirely, post it.

Introduction:
99% of your race/strain questions should be answerd in the first three posts of this thread[. Please read all three before posting any 'Strain' related discussion in my journal. If you wish to discuss, or update the information concerning a specific race/'strain' or topic, scroll down to the other posts in this thread and click on a particular cube or topic's name.

Please send me a PM if I need to add any new threads or profiles for missing cubensis races (strains).

If you want quality spores at a fair price, SUPPORT OUR SHROOMERY SPONSERS!

So... without further ado... welcome to Cervantes' Race (Strain) Journal!

Thanks,
Cervantes

Now, start reading:





Why 'Race', 'Variety 'and 'Subvariety' are Often More Accurate Terms Than 'Strain':
When discussing different types of cubes in general, let's use the words 'Race' or 'Variety' instead of the word 'Strain'. Cubes, like humans, come from all over the world... and like humans, there can be some variety from one cube patch to another. It is time for some racial tension here in the world of cubes. Most cubes are named after the place where their original wild spore specimen was discovered... so Race is a logical (if imperfect) word to use when describing these different types of cubes. At the very least, it is more accurate and far less confusing than the word 'Strain'.

In this thread, the word 'Strain' in quotation marks means something different than the word Strain without quotation marks. The word Strain refers to living dikaryotic mycelial tissue, the word 'Strain' refers to commercial spores.

The fungus known as Psilocibe Cubensis is a unique mushroom SPECIES. Shiitake is a unique mushroom species. Azures are their own species. Amanitas are a species... etc. It would be almost impossible and incredibly expensive to use two different fungus species and create a hybrid of the two. It'd be like successfully mating a human with a gorilla. However, a Caucasian human can effectively mate with an Asian human. Similarly, spores from one cube race can mate (or be mated) successfully with the spores of other cubensis races.

In the world of mycology, every single time a single spore's mycelium mates with another's to become dikaryotic, a unique Strain (no quotation marks) is created. Like baby humans, living cube Strains are each unique, and they tend to resemble their 'parents'. Each single viable spore print can produce thousands if not millions of unique strains. Most of these strains will produce mushrooms that look remarkably like the mushroom that produced the print from which they came.

The term 'Strain' is often used to describe the type of spores on a spore print or in a syringe filled with spores. When used in this context, the word 'Strain' is simply NOT ACCURATE (hence the 'Quotation marks'). It is a word used by vendors (who cater to hippies) in order to make magic shroom spores sound like different strains of marijuana. It is a word that suggests cubes are more varied from 'Strain' to 'Strain' than they actually are.

Marijuana is a plant, cubes are a fungus. Cubes come from SPORES, marijuana comes from SEEDS. Cubes breathe OXYGEN and produce CO2 as a byproduct (like animals). Marijuana, like all plants, breathes CO2 and produces OXYGEN.

The misuse of the word 'Strain' is widespread, and only encourages vendors to sell as many different 'Strains' as possible in spite of their obvious similarities. When people talk of commercial cube 'Strains' this leads to confusion and misinformation. Vendors (especially the shady ones) thrive on this misinformation.

An African, an Asian and a Caucasian are all undeniably human but there are obvious differences between each race. Even on a smaller scale... every single town (and sometimes neighborhood) in Great Britain features a slightly different dialect... and yet, there is still room for great diversity from one person to another in said towns... even though, when compared to a different race, most Brits tend to look alike.

Still, the world of genetics is often a funny thing, and sometimes spores will produce some surprisingly unique and unexpected strains... strains displaying recessive genetic traits and mutations that nobody could predict... again, just like humans.

These unique cubes can be selectively bred until these unique traits become common, even via multispore inoculation. This new, unique cube may be marketed as a new 'Strain' but it is really just a unique 'Variety' of cubensis spawned from its original race. Still, many vendors market each unique variety as a new 'Strain'. In general, every single commercially available cubensis 'RACE', is actually a domesticated VARIETY of the original specimen. Domesticated cubes contain intentionally limited genetics in order to increase the likelyhood of achieving the desired results, sort of like dog domestication and subsequent breeding.

Over time and multiple generations (spore to fruit to spore) a cubensis Variety can become genetically limited by inbreeding. This means results from multispore inoculation can become more consistent, and the likelihood of accidentally stumbling upon unique traits reduces. If a commercial cube's genetics become too limited, the inbreeding can produce undesired effects. In general, when it comes to life, too much inbreeding will eventually lead to problems.

Annother classification for different types of cubes is the 'Sub-variety'. For example, by using spores from each variety of cube, Workman crossed PF Albino (Probably a variety of the Matias Romero race) with Penis Envy (Probably a variety of an Amazonian or Columbian race) and produced the Albino Penis Envy. Albino Penis Envy is both a sub-variety of PF Albino and Penis Envy.

Since all this 'Variety' and 'Sub-Variety' talk can get very confusing, go ahead and use 'Race' if you prefer, even though it is not entirely accurate. It sure beats saying 'Strain'. There are racial differences between mushrooms, often due to natural selection based upon where they first grew... and sometimes varietal differences due to unnatural selection performed by mycologists.

Finally, there are different 'Brands' of cubes. A Sporeworks Brand syringe full of Penis Envy spores may have a slightly different ethnic diversity than a Ralphster Brand or Hawk's Eye Brand syringe of the same cube.

All of that said, vendors use the term 'Strain'... and n00bs learn the term from vendors. This incorrect term is SO widespread, it is even used in the same way by Paul Stamets. I'd love to use the proper terminology, and will do so from now on... but this will be an uphill battle. Most people recognize the incorrect term, and not the correct ones.

It seems the misuse of the word 'Strain' is only widespread in the world of magic mushrooms, but not in the rest of the mycological world. The fact that so many magic mycologists use incorrect terminology, further reduces our credibility in larger mycological circles. The misuse of this simple word can make our work seem illegitimate in the eyes of science.





The Truth About Different Types of Cubes:
Most cubes look alike.
All cubes grow in the same conditions.
The differences between cube races, varieties or 'Strains' are, more often than not, minute.
Some races are known for fast colonization, or large fruits... even high potency.
BUT... these 'Facts' are often just vendor hype.
Your results will most likely vary.





The Truth About Cube Potency:
If you want something that is very potent, you should probably try a different species and avoid cubes all together... either that, or eat more cubes. Agar will potentially allow you to select a more potent substrain. A few cube races and varieties are reported as being more potent than others... but there is no scientific evidence to strengthen the potency argument. Everybody wants the answer to this question... but all we have is opinion. Most people agree there are differences in potency from one type of cubensis to another... but they seldom agree on which cube is the most (or least) potent.





The Truth About The Fastest Growing Cubes:
Some cube races and varieties are known to grow at a faster or slower rate, on average, than others. There is evidence which suggests the fastest cubensis races produce the smallest shrooms and the slower races and varieties produce the most bulky fungus. Ultimately it all seems to even out in the end (with a few exceptions). Also, the slow cubes more frequently display unique macroscopic characteristics (in other words, they are more likely to look noticeably different from other races) while the fast ones usually look like average (or smaller than average) cubes. It tends to take more time to grow a large or unique cube. If you are looking for a cube which produces a LOT of quick bulk, you may be looking for a long time... and you'd better work with agar.





The Truth About Bulk:
Race, variety or 'Strain' has little to do with bulk. With some work, any viable cube print should produce good flushes. Good isolation on agar, and good fruiting conditions are the only proven ways to get consistently bulky flushes. There are no quick and easy solutions. If you want bulk, first you are going to need diligent patience.





The Truth About Selecting Your Spores:
The thing that distinguishes most races, varieties or 'strains' is where they originated and who collected the first specimen. If you are interested in Tasmania, try some Tasmanian spores. If you like the story of how SG30 was resurrected by Shdwstr, try SG30. If you think Penis Envy looks fun, try it. They are all cubes. Pick one that interests you, and see if you like working with it.





The Truth About Multispore vs. Strain Isolation:
Agar allows you to work specifically with your spores but it costs more money and takes much more time. However, proper agar work will give you consistency from one grow to the next.

Multispore inoculation is a turkey shoot. You never know what you are going to get. Mother nature is unpredictable. If you intend to use multispore, it is suggested you work with a classic and/or popular cube variety. Cubes that have been popular for 10 or more years tend to be popular for a reason, and their genetics have probably been limited (in a good way) by being selectively bred over and over again... generation after generation. You are more likely to see consistent results via multispore, if you use a proven race.

*Special thanks to Livingston, apoonanor and george castanza.





Race/Variety (Strain) Profiles
Certainly there are mistakes contained within these profiles. I have done my best to quote and credit my sources whenever possible so, they can take the fall for their own mistakes . However, I wish to be as historically and scientifically factual as possible and will keep this list updated to the best of my abilities.

If you see anything that you believe is incorrect, please let me know.

Drop me a PM, or post in this thread. Add any information and links that you uncover. Many of these profiles are short for one simple reason... I have been unable to uncover any further information. The trail more often than not, runs cold. Please, help me with this eternal project.

Post any additional info or corrections in this thread or in my strain/race journal. ESPECIALLY if I have spelled anything incorrectly or if I have misrepresented any information! Also, let me know what cube strains/races I am missing. Feel free to post information in my journal even if it means bumping an extremely old thread. Either click the journal icon in my avatar or follow this link:

Click the race/strain's name to go to a thread in my journal where you can discuss that particular strain/race.

Enjoy!





A Strain
The A Strain is a classic cube. It was originally marketed by Mr. G., "Creator" of the B+.

A Strain is well domesticated, and a good candidate for multispore inoculation.

Albino A+ comes from a recent mutation of the A Strain.

From www.ralphstersspores.com







Acadian Coast
According to Roadkill and Ralphster, the Acadian Coast Cube supposedly originated in Louisiana. While it has never been a popular cube, people who try it seem to enjoy it. There is little info here at The Shroomery about the origins of this particular cube.

Photos from www.ralphstersspores.com







Albino A+
The Albino A+ is a unique cube.

According to Workman from www.sporeworks.com, the Albino A+ is a recent leucistic mutation of Mr. G's A Strain. This means it is not a true albino, just very pale, with almost white flesh. A true albino wouldn't have dark spores. A+ does. Albino A+ caps sometimes have a sharp nipple. Not a prolific fruiter, but better than most true albinos. Because of its dark spores, AA+ may be a good candidate for crossing with other cubes. If you are interested in albinos, but you want to print them easily, you may wish to look at Albino A+.

From Workman and www.sporeworks.com







Albino Penis Envy (a.k.a. APE)
APE is a unique cube.

This is a fairly new cube, brought to us by www.sporeworks.com and their very own Workman who worked extensively to cross PF Albino with PE to create albino penises.

While Workman was hoping for a pure white version,  APE  is a white shroom with a pale blue cap. Ape is prone to aborts, it is not a prolific flusher and due to these factors, it is probably best classified as a novelty or mutant cube. However, poor producing mutants are often reported as being much more potent than average. There is little to no scientific evidence or proof to support the claims of 'mutant' potency... only personal opinions. A mutant's novelty may simply make them 'seem' more potent... which actually CAN make a difference while tripping.

From Workman and www.sporeworks.com








Allen Strain
According to Roadkill, the Allen Strain was discovered by Mushroom John Allen near Ban Tailing Ngam, Koh Samui, Thailand. Roadkill domesticated the only wild print and named it after the man who discovered it. An ideal Allen Strain mushroom is reported (by Roadkill) to have an egg shaped cap just before the cap breaks from the stem and the fruits reach full maturity.

Photos by Eatyualive.



Photo by Chavro.






Argentina
This cube comes from... surprise! Argentina. Unfortunately, there is not much info here at The Shroomery about this particular cube.

Photos by Civ







Australia (a.k.a. Aussie)
Information about the origins or unique traits of the Aussie Cube have been hard to find. It may have been discovered by B.I.O. but these rumors are as of yet, unconfirmed.

Aussie cubes are known for (and nicknamed after) their golden or yellow coloration. They are commonly known as 'Gold Tops' in the Down Under.

Australia has plenty of cows and a good climate for cubes. It seems the Aussie is an average (If yellow-ish) looking cube.

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






B+
The B+ origins have become a thing of legend. B+ is a classic cube and has been one of the most popular commercial cubes in history. It is very domesticated, and a good candidate, if you plan to use multispore.

Nobody knows exactly where the cube which became B+ came from.

Mr G... who, "Created" B+ swears it is a Psilocybe cubensis/azurescens hybrid... MOST people disagree with this statement... and chalk it up as a marketing ploy. Nobody has been able to prove the B+ is an Azure hybrid. It would be rather miraculous if Mr. G. succeeded. It is safe to say his claims are BEYOND belief.

There no evidence to suggest cubes and azures could be crossed in this way. Although, some people say the caps of B+ resemble the cap of an Azure... and there are a few reports suggesting B+ spores may share some Azure traits as well. This is likely just wishful thinking.

B+ is known for its LARGE fruits. You will likely need a well hydrated cake/casing/tub to get the most out of B+... otherwise the shrooms may not reach their full potential.

B+ can be SLOWER growing than many other brand name cubes (but like EVERY cube, your experience may vary). B+  has been commonly known as a good choice for BEGINNING cultivators. Many believe B+ is very forgiving and can grow in a wide range of temperatures and conditions.

To further the B+ mystery, for a time, Sporeworks accidentally sold a different strain (the prime suspect is PES Amazonian) under the B+ label. This mistake has since been corrected, but there may be several different 'strains' floating around the trade community under the name B+. This may explain why there is so much discrepancy in descriptions of B+ grows, including reports of hollow stems, varied colonization/growth times and fluctuations in potency.

Speaking of potency, there are a surprising amount of reports of "Dud" batches of B+ (ie: not very potent). While most people swear by the potency of B+, there are many who think it is rather tame (at least, occasionally). Don't worry too much about potency. B+ was recently voted The Shroomery's most popular cube so it must do something right.

Many say the B+ puts out good initial flushes, followed by smaller flushes of larger fruits.

As for the legend of the B+... This thread is an interesting read... including a rant from the infamous Mr. G. The man who allegedly started the rumor that he combined a cube with an azure, to create B+

Here's another good read.

Photo by Anand.


B+ Type 1, Photo by Workman at www.sporeworks.com


And B+ Type 2







Ban Hua Thanon (a.k.a. BHT)
According to Mushroom John Allen, aka mjshroomer:

Quote:

---

mjshroomer said:

This is the original shroom from which all Koh Samui Ban Hua Thann shrooms orginated rom.

The first shroom I obtained three prints from.  It was collected in the same field as the P. samuiensis.  IT was then grown indoors in Europe and prints were obtained and sent to me.

And so I present these prints for your pleasure and enjoyment.

Here is a picture of the original mushroom involved.



mj

---

Photo from www.ralphstersspores,com






Ban Nathon Dhupatamyia (a.k.a. BND)
Another Thai cube discovered by Mushroom John Allen.

Quote:

---

mjshroomer said:
Hi Civ, you see form the original mushrooms the beautiful nippled caps of this strain. The original shroom was collected right next to the military base and along the road that goes up to the Tarnim magic gardens at 450 meters altitude. These were collected just above sea level, maybe 60 feet.

Glad you were finally able to get them going. I know if yo had not had a moving condition all of those would be beautiful.

Still, one hell of a job in cultivating.

Is is okay for me to copy your images and tek notes for my records?

mj

---

Photos posted by Civ.







Ban Phang Ka (a.k.a. BPK)
Discovered in Thailand by Mushroom John Allen. Reports by Ralphster of large fruits.

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






Ban Thurian (a.k.a. BT)
Discovered in Thailand by Mushroom John Allen.

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






Big Mex
Supposedly, the Big Mex comes from Mexico and was brought to us by Mr. G, creator of the B+.





Blue Meanie Cube
One of Keeper's cubes, the Blue Meanie Cube has caused a great deal of confusion. Blue Meanie has long been the nickname for the pan (copelandia) cyan, another magic shroom which grows in similar conditions as cubes but is much more potent. By naming a cube after another type of shroom, it has lead to a great deal of confusion, particularly when it comes to dosage. This single name has caused dangerous confusion.

For more info, see the entry for Keeper Brand Cubes.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Brazillian
According to Roadkill, the Brazillian variety is, "A great strain, a must have."

Like most South American cubes, Brazilians are known for their large fruits and aggressive colonization.

Photos from www.ralphstersspores.com






Burma (a.k.a. Burmese Yangoon)
According to Workman, "Original specimen was collected from buffalo dung in an unplanted rice paddie outside the city of Yangoon, Burma. Original collection supplied via Mushroom John by way of a gift from a Thai student who spent time collecting mushroom samples around Yangoon (formaly Rangoon), Burma (now Myanmar)"

Photo by crazychemist.


Photo by Uncle Rico.


From www.ralphstersspores.com


From Jackal.






Cambodian (a.k.a. Cambo)
Cambos are classic cubes.

Rumors of Cambos potency and aggressive colonization abound. Cambos are quite popular among many cultivators.

According to Ryche Hawk from www.thehawkseye.com Cambos are, "A very nice and fast growing cubensis from Cambodia. This cubensis was originally picked by John Allen while in Cambodia filming some of the psilocybe mushrooms that grow naturally throughout a lot of the country."

Photo by Psilocybinjunkie.


Photo by Roadkill






Chilean
According to Ralphster, this cube is, "Straight from the Chilean mountains".

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






Colorado
The Colorado Cube is an enigma.

Rumors of cubes growing in the Rocky Mountain West are common. Unfortunately, there is no hard evidence to support these rumors. The stories of wild cubes in the Rocky Mountain West are likely stem from cultivators who use the story to disguise their grow op. Western cultivators may simply tell friends that they know how to find cubes in a cow pasture (especially FRESH cubes), instead of saying, "HEY! I GROW THESE MYSELF! I HAVE A COLLECTION OF PRINTS, SYRINGES AND JARS! I HAVE A MARTHA, AN ULTRASONIC AND A PC!!!!"

Ralphster from www.ralphstersspores.com swears he was told the spores came from Colorado, but it is extremely unlikely the person who gave Ralph the original spores was telling the whole story. Without a great deal of human intervention, cubes would struggle to grow outdoors in Colorado's cold and dry, high altitude climate. Due to long winters, the potential wild cube growing season in Colorado is very short. This warm season is often very dry and also, too hot for cubes. While not entirely impossible, Colorado's conditions are simply not optimal for cubes. Not even in a good year.

If the Colorado Cube really is from Colorado, it was likely gathered from a cultivator's well tended outdoor (or even indoor) patch... or a farm animal ate some shrooms in the Gulf Coast region and was quickly transported to Colorado where it pooped the spores out at the perfect time of the year for cube growth.

A true Colorado cube would likely show some interesting microscopic traits, for example a Colorado cube should have unusually large spores. The further a native cube is from the equator, the larger the spores tend to be. If any such research has been done with the Colorado's spores, it is not readily available.

Ralph was told the Colorado is from Colorado. He believes what he was told. There is little evidence to dispute or support the story... but it is more than likely someone told Ralph a lie or at the very least, unknowingly stretched the truth.

It doesn't really matter if the Colorado cube really came from Colorado. It still makes for quite an interesting story.

Photos by Civ.







Colombian Rust Spore (a.k.a. CRS)
The Colombian Rust Spore is a unique cube.

Workman obtained a print of Colombian Rust Spore from grod31. Spore coloration is identical to PF Redspore but CRS is much less likely to abort. According to Workman, aside from its lighter flesh tone and rust colored spores, CRS is nearly identical to the B+ Type 2 which was accidentally sold as B+ by www.sporeworks.com for a time, before the error was discovered and corrected. It is suspected B+ Type 2 is actually PES Amazon which also originated from Colombia. Colombian Rust Spore, because of its stability, is a good candidate for crossing with other cubes.

Photos by Workman at www.sporeworks.com







Costa Rica (a.k.a. CR)
The Costa Rica Cube was discovered by Rhino.

According to workman of www.sporeworks.com Costa Rica was, "Generated from a Costa Rican sample that was labeled as an unknown landslide mushroom."

Ryche Hawk from www.thehawkseye.com has a more detailed story:

Quote:

---

Ryche Hawk:
Another great sacred mushroom brought to you first by The Hawks Eye Sacred Mushroom Spores. This sweet cubie was found in the foothills surrounding Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica. Approximately 1000-1200 ft. elevation. Our good friend Rhino was thoughtful enough to take some spore prints from the mushroom specimens he collected while exploring various regions of Costa Rica. More on Rhino's story of finding this treasure below.

Costa Rica is a magical kingdom. We have heard nothing but exciting stories over the years from our friends that have visited this tropical area of the world. We are glad to have a sacred mushroom from this region of the world that has been growing at the base of a highly active volcano for how many centuries? With Costa Rica lying on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, I imagine this mushroom has heard many stories come through the winds. What kind of stories will it whisper to you?

Here's Rhino's story:
****

Our trip fell one month into the 'green season'
as it is referred to by the Costa Rican nationals (Ticos y Ticas).....It
was wet....to put it mildly but it did not spoil our trip one bit :-) We
had a rented 4x4 (tiny) and we traveled to 4 different geographical regions
within Costa Rica. We did not collect these specimens in a cloud forest region
which are approx 3000'-4400' above sea level near the continental divide.
The cubies were found in the foothills surrounding Arenal Volcano.
Strangely, they call this area the Central Lowlands but it seems a lot
higher. I checked for reference and determined that the area is
1000'-1200' above sea level Having said this, cattle are raised from sea
level to the highest summit throughout the country and we saw many enticing
cow fields even in the highest areas. This time of the year the temps were
a little cool in the higher regions that have perpetual moisture...or maybe
not...daytime temps were in the low 70s and night temps dropped to the high
50s/low 60s. Other times of the year, these areas see the 70s-80s that
were constant in the area around La Fortuna and the base of the volcano.
For this reason, I would think that cubies could be found in CR any time of
the year with optimum conditions falling at different altitudes depending
on the season. Due to the frequent downpours, the mushies we collected
were a little soggy but stout.

I have many pics and I have a great story about finding these mushies. I knew
there must be cubies everywhere but I did not want to trespass and finding
someone to ask was not too easy but I was determined to get onto someone's
farm. While on an excursion to the chachagua waterfall in this vicinity, we
came upon a rasta (hispanic rasta) fellow selling hand made jewelry and hand
made pipes, bongs as well as hammocks and batiks (sarongs) along the side of a
rural road. We stopped to have a look and began talk with the guy (Daniele)
because I was looking for some green. He was extremely cool and invited us to
his shop to smoke some herb. His shop was just behind his roadside stand and
behind that his home. His place sat right in the middle of several farms and
as we talked more I asked if he knew about psilocybe mushies and if they could
be bought in Costa Rica. He laughed and said they are everywhere and they are
free...only the herb cost $$. Cattle had not inhabited the fields immediately
around his place for several months and the grass was waist high. He actually
called a buddy of his (Mateo) and had him take us to a farm belonging to
another friends family. The picture you have of the farmhouse is where I am
talking about...nice place! We scoured the fields and only came up with only
a handful that day but they said there are usually many more. Only 4 were
printable. We saw several cubies that were waaay past their prime and were
all slimy and blue. I did not mess with any of these of course. It had been raining
heavily the last 24 hours and I think a couple of days later would have been
productive but we had to travel to the next stop on our trip and could not
stick around. We (Lana & myself) ate just a little bit for a buzz and sat
outside with them as the sun set. Mateo ate a full dose and looked to be to
be in full bloom after about an hour...lol. The guys played the bongos while
we sat and made jewelry with all the beads and things Daniele had. It was a
kick ass experience for us as we are city dwellers. We had planned to eat the
four printing caps in a couple of days since we would be in the cloud forest
but we could not get them dry fast enough after printing even with rice and as
a result they got ruined. We were sad but very glad to have the prints
instead. That way we can try this strain later after giving the spore prints to our
friends at The Hawks Eye.
the spore prints to our
friends at The Hawks Eye."

---

Rhino's photo of the wild Costa Rican, posted at www.thehawkseye.com






Creeper (a.k.a. Keeper's Creepers or KC)
Easily the most popular of Keeper's Cubes.

For more information see the profiles for Keeper Brand Cubes and Exit 8.

From www.thehawkseye.com


From www.ralphstersspores.com


From Hotnuts.






Cuba (Camaguey)
From the country that gave us the root of the word, "Cubensis"... really.

From Wikipedia:

Quote:

---

The name Psilocybe is derived from the Greek roots psilos (ψιλος) and kubê (κυβη) and translates as "bald head". Cubensis means "coming from Cuba", Cuba being the type locality published by Earle.

---

Quote:

---

ralphster44 said:
Time to set it loose

Worked on this for 6 months!!! From CUBA....Camaguey !!!!! I love it !!!

---

Posted at www.ralphstersspores.com






Dakak Beach Philippines
According to Ralphster, "The original of this strain was found at the same time as the Quezon. Fruits tend too be a little smaller than some."

From FooMan.






Dancing Tiger China
According to Ralphster, "From the expert efforts of my good friend Agar. This strain is sure to please. These Cubes bruise dark blue and have a distinct oatmeal like flecking onthe caps."

Posted by Buddhahoodlum.


Posted by Cubenisseur.






Dixieland
The Dixieland cube was discovered in Alabama and isolated by Dial8, a member of the Mycotopia mushroom community.

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






Ecuador (a.k.a. EQ)
The Ecuador cube is quite popular. It, along with B+, are perhaps the most popular commercial cubes ever. EQ is a classic cube. It is very domesticated, and therefore a good candidate if you plan to use multispore.

The original EQ specimin was originally collected in the mountains of Ecuador by B.I.O. According to B.I.O. himself, stated back in the year in 2000:

"i brought this beautiful EQ strain 10 years ago from ecuador also one down from the amazonas.....the EQ mountain strain i collected in northern ecuador close to otavalo at 10.000 ft altitude....it was growing at temps around 70 F and its a slow colonizer....but a shaman told me that the mountainshrooms a clearer and stronger....
BiO."

EQ's can grow to be quite large, a common trait among many South American cubes. The caps can be quite huge with very dark prints.

While not the fastest growing cube, the EQ makes up for it with its impressive flushes. There is little about the EQ to make it look different from other cubes. It is an average looking cube which often produces larger than average fruits. According to Workman, the EQ is slightly easier to pick than most cubes since the fruits don't cling to the substrate.

For many years, EQ was known as a good cube for beginners, although any cube is a good cube for beginners.

The Yosterizii cube is simply a renamed version of the EQ produced from a supposedly prolific EQ substrain.

Pic from www.ralphstersspores.com


Pic from Workman at www.sporeworks.com

Elephant Dung
This is another Thai cube credited to John Allen.

From www.ralphstersspores.com

"The Elephant Dung shrooms came from three prints collected from one shroom and a few other prints which are on deposit at Chulalongkorn university in Bangkok.” - John Allen

From www.ralphstersspores.com







Elephant Gate
This is an elusive cube, if you find a print you are among a select few.

According to Roadkill and mjshroomer, John Allen found the original specimen at a monastery near the Elephant Gate in Samui Thailand. Roadkill used the print to find a good isolate and has given out a handful of prints to other mycologists.

Here's an interesting thread featuring EG grown indoors. 

Photos from Thai_Connection.







Exit 8
Very little is known about Roadkill's Exit 8 Cube, but it is worth mentioning because it played a roll in cubensis history.

According to Roadkill:

Quote:

---

Roadkill said:
I contacted the Keeper by email...
I told him that I had some new strains of Cubensis that I was willing to trade with him...
he emailed me back and was very excited and wanted to trade with me.
and he asked me what strains I was interested in getting from him.
Told him I was interested in his Keepers Creeper strain...
and asked him about where the Keepers Creeper strain was from...location wise.
he emailed me back...
and he said that the Keepers Creeper strain was from Jamaica.
Who knows if he was telling me the truth.

The Keeper was very interested in getting his hands on my "Exit 8" strain.
He liked the name of it!~
lolzz
I never traded him the "Exit 8" strain so if he comes out with it...
it's not the real "Exit 8" strain.

The guy is a snake charmer!~
plain an simple!~
he would sell his own mother to make a buck $$$$
---

As far as growing the Keeper Creeper strain goes...
The Keeper Creeper is a good strain.
fast colonizing, nice large fruits on bulk substrates if the growing conditions are right.
and I won't talk about the trip...

---

F+ (a.k.a. Florida White)
F+ has never been very popular. Perhaps this is due to its name, which implies a mark of failure, according to American school standards. F+ supposedly originates from Florida. It was used by The_Chosen_One in a cross with PF Albino to create the elusive Falbino. There is little about the F+ which distinguishes it from an average cube.

From www.ralphstersspores.com







Falbino
The Falbino is a unique cube.

The story of the Falbino is a great tale for amateur mycologists everywhere.

According to The_Chosen_One:

Quote:

---

It was PFA monokaryon isolate in lc with F+ spores germinated in it. the history can be a bit confusing i know.  the mushroom itself is confusing.

---

Quote:

---

there are now a few different versions out there. the pure albino as noted here. the pigmented version which drops purple spores heavily. and the pigmented version which also produces albino fruits and chimeras* mixed in with the pigmented ones. 
*chimeras are fruits that have some pigment and some albino mixed together in one fruiting body.

also, things will be possibly be getting more confusing in the near future  as i have been working with a backcrossed version for some time now. the original backcross produced some giant pigmented fruits as well as large albinos. the pigmented fruits are now lacking most pigment so what we have is an almost albino mushroom that drops purple spores quite heavily. the fruits are also very heavy, but not great in number typically.

---

Photo of The_Chosen_One's very first Falbino Fruit:


And photos of The_Chosen_One's Falbinos grown from clear spores:




Photo by Workman at www.sporeworks.com







Golden Teacher
The Golden Teacher is a classic cube. GT is very domesticated and is a good candidate for multispore inoculation.

Nobody seems to know where the Golden Teacher Cube came from but it was likely discovered in the Gulf region of the USA. This cube has been around for quite a while and has been sold by many vendors. It can produce average to large flushes of average looking cubes. Some GT's can grow to be quite large. Some may display a nipple on the top of the cap and according to Workman, the occasional 'wart'. Colonization and fruiting times may be a little slower than average. Opinions about the GT are quite mixed. Some love it, some hate it.

Photo by Workman at www.sporeworks.com






Guadalajara
From Guadalajara Mexico.

From www.ralphstersspores.com


Photo by TheMan420






Gulf Coast (a.k.a. GC)
Gulf Coast is a classic cube. It originated in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S.A.

GC is reported to be a fast and aggressive cube.  GC has been around for so long, it is likely well domesticated. GC  is a good candidate for multispore inoculation.

Photos by Drenkhahn.






Hanoi Vietnam
Mushroom John Allen discovered this cube in Vietnam, he reports extreme blue staining and potentially high potency.

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






Hillbilly
Discovered in Alabama. Isolated by and named after Hillbilly, the guy who found the first specimen.

Photos by fahster.







Honduras
From Honduras.


From Workman at www.sporeworks.com






Huautala
This cube is from a history filled region. According to Workman:

"The Huautla strain of Psilocybe cubensis is a recent collection from the wilds of southern Mexico in the region of Oaxaca near the village of Huautla de Jimenez. Huautla de Jimenez has gained notoriety as the hometown of mushroom shaman Maria Sabina.

In 1954 Gordon Wasson and Allan Richardson became the first Caucasians to participate in a mushroom ceremony, conducted under the guidance of Maria Sabina near the village of Huautla de Jimenez. Wasson and Richardson each consumed specimens of Psilocybe caerulescens var. mazatecorum.

Our good friend Club99 recently collected the Huautla variety of P. cubensis from this historically rich region."

Another cube with the same name was sold by Mushmush in Europe for a short time.

Photo by Workman and www.sporeworks.com






Katmandu Nepal
There is very little Shroomery info about this cube. Like most cubes, it was probably named after the place it was discovered.





Keeper's Brand Cubes
"Strains include: The Keepers Creeper, Tequila Spikes, Veracity Sincerities, Shooting Stars, Sanctuaries, Yin/Yang?s, Oasis, Northern Lights, Hairy Buffaloes, Illusion Weavers, Chimeras, Reality Benders, Blue Meanies (Cubensis), Nj6, The Star Gazer, Z-Strain

BEWARE OF THE KEEPER!!!

It is sad to think a shady retailer like Keeper gets such a long entry, but his story needs to be told, and it is an annoyingly entertaining read.

Keeper Brand spores are overpriced and the Keeper website is filled with misinformation. The proprietor is a liar and a thief who only tries to trick newbies into spending up to ten times more than they should for a syringe. Facts be damned! Keeper will say anything to get a sale.

Unfortunately, he is still operating and selling spores. Many Shroomery newbies come to this website talking about the ridiculous prices they have payed Keeper for a spore syringe.

It does seem like Keeper sells viable spores... but avoid doing business with him at all costs. Little if anything is known about the origins of his Brand of spores.

At one time, Shroomery vendor Ryche Hawk www.thehawkseye.com supplied Keeper with all his spore prints... until they had a falling out when Keeper raised his prices and started selling spores as his own name-brand spores. It is plausible that many if not all Keeper's strains are simply renamed and overpriced versions of Hawk's own spores.

It is usually frowned upon when  a vendor starts selling another vendor's exclusive spores w/o permission. It is especially frowned upon when a vendor changes the name of said spores to disguise the cube's origin. This practice denies the people who discovered wild cubes the credit they deserve. Recognition is often the only reward for mycological field work.

Recently, Hawk exacted his revenge on Keeper. He purchased every single Keeper Brand Cube from the Keeper himself. Hawk then had the spores shipped to his labs where the spores were germinated and fruited.

In this case, one bad turn deserves another. Hawk now sells the Keeper Brand cubes himself at a greatly reduced price... and unlike Keeper, Hawk actually tells people where his spores come from.

One of Keeper's cubes, the Blue Meanie Cube has caused a great deal of confusion. Blue Meanie has long been the nickname for the pan (copelandia) cyan, another magic shroom which grows in similar conditions as cubes but is much more potent. By naming a cube after another type of shroom, it has lead to a great deal of confusion, particularly when it comes to dosage. This single name has caused dangerous confusion. The Blue Meanie Cube spores are sold at a fair price by Ralphster www.ralphstersspores.com.

Keeper's most popular cube is known as Keeper's Creeper, and it is now sold by many vendors. Long before Hawk brought Keeper's other spores, The Shroomery's own Roadkill tricked Keeper into trading for the Creeper. RK's resulting prints ended up in the hands of legitimate vendors who began to sell the Creeper (KC) at a greatly reduced price.

Here's the entertaining story according to Roadkill:

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/5749011#5749011

Quote:

---

Roadkill said:
I contacted the Keeper by email...

I told him that I had some new strains of Cubensis that I was willing to trade with him... he emailed me back and was very excited and wanted to trade with me. and he asked me what strains I was interested in getting from him.

Told him I was interested in his Keepers Creeper strain... and asked him about where the Keepers Creeper strain was from...location wise.

he emailed me back... and he said that the Keepers Creeper strain was from Jamaica.

Who knows if he was telling me the truth.


The Keeper was very interested in getting his hands on my "Exit 8" strain.
He liked the name of it!~ lolzz
I never traded him the "Exit 8" strain so if he comes out with it... it's not the real "Exit 8" strain.


The guy is a snake charmer!~
plain an simple!~
he would sell his own mother to make a buck $$$$

---

As far as growing the Keeper Creeper strain goes... The Keeper Creeper is a good strain. fast colonizing, nice large fruits on bulk substrates if the growing conditions are right. and I won't talk about the trip...

---

Quote:

---

Ryche Hawk said:From www.thehawkseye.com

"Our main competition will have you believe that they actually created "hybrid" mushrooms and they are so superior that they want to charge you between $35 and $90 a spore syringe.

I have one word for you BULLSHIT!

I have a little secret for you, unlike Marijuana, mushrooms are almost impossible to create hybrids. It takes extensive research over years by professional mycologist to come up with "hybrids". Don't be fooled by the advertising gimmicks of our competition!

We used to supply our competition we are referring to with some of their cubensis strains, we watched this company continuously deceive the uneducated and newbies. We have had enough, we took it upon ourselves to order their so called "hybrids" and have our expert growers develop them so we could offer you the spores for a fraction of the cost. Lets just PRETEND for a moment they really are "hybrids",

Do you really want to pay between $35 and $90 for a spore syringe? That is absurd!
$15 to $20 a spore syringe is a fair price, PERIOD!"

---

By all means, if you are interested in Keeper Brand spores, buy from a fair and honest vendor.





Koh Samui and Koh Samui Super Strain (a.k.a. KS and KSSS)
Koh Samui was discovered by Mushroom John Allen. It is known to produce fatass (short but fat) cubes.

According to www.thehawkseye.com

"Another great psilocybe mushroom brought to us by Enthomycologist John Allen from his travels through Thailand. This beauty was picked in the town of Hua Thanon on the island of Koh Samui."

Koh Samui is known for shorter than average fruits with meaty stems that are noticeably wider on the bottom than at the top. For its height, Koh Samui can have unusually large caps but Koh Samui from time to time, puts out some surprisingly normal looking fruits. Pins commonly have red tops with white spots. The caps turn red-brown with maturity.

Koh Samui Super Strain came from a prolific Koh Samui isolate. There is much debate over weather KSSS is actually a, "Super Strain". Some people swear by it, some long for the original. Some think it is less varied in appearance than the original. Your results may vary. KSSS is likely just a more domesticated version of Koh Samui, so if you plan to use multispore, try the Super Strain, and if you work with agar, stick with the original.

Many people are found of Koh Samui. It is usually easy to spot from  picture alone. It is a great addition to any collection.

Photos from www.thehawkseye.com







Large Fruit
According to Ralphster, in spite of its name, Large Fruit is an average sized cube. It was originally donated to Eric at the FSRE.

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






Lizard King (a.k.a. LK)
The Lizard King strain has an interesting history, and it was discovered by Lizard King who had a hand in finding several coveted Mexacanae specimens as well. Anand played a large roll in domesticating the Lizard King cube.

What makes this cube interesting is that it was found growing on a mixture of wood and horse poo. Wood is not a common substrate for wild cubes but given the right conditions cubes will grow on damn near anything.

Here's what Lizard King himself had to say about his discovery:

Quote:

---

Lizard King said:
This week just keeps getting more strange by the day for cubies. I can't find a single cube in the local cow pastures, but here I am finding them in horse pastures and woodchips of all places!! You see, there is this horse park where I live, the 96 olympics were help there. Anyways, there are stables, and riding arenas all over this park, and there are what you call "manure pits", where the manure and stable bedding gets shoveled into. Well, I stopped and asked an attendant where they empty these dung pits at? He directed me about a mile up the road to the dump site and said I was free to take all I needed. So I get up there, and the dump consists mainly of the woodchip bedding from the stables, and a few horse turds here and there, didn't look very promising. Low and behold though, I step out of the truck and there sits a fat cluster of three large cubies. The thing is, they were growing from freaking wood chips!!!! I am sure there is horse shit burried under those chips somewhere, but the mycelium was actually growing in the woodchips, no dung visible at all, and I even dug a little. This has got to be the stragest of places I have ever found, or ever will find a cubie. I couldn't f*#&ing belive it!!

I found a horse stable close to home and asked them where they dump their stable trash, they told me where to go and said to take all I wanted. Stable waste is 90% wood shavings, its used for bedding for the horse, the other 10% is the dung that the horses drop in their stables. When I first pulled up to the site I spotted 3 nice fat cubies and couldn't believe it!! I picked them in a pile of wood chips, the mycelium was eating it up and loving it, there is absolutely no horse dung in site around them, not under it, beside it or around it. I think there is or was probably a small piece of horse dung that was colonized and spawned itself into the woodchips, its so apparent that it doesn't mind the woodchips, it actually loves it and seems to benifit from it, they grow way more healthy, thicked stemmed, plump and potent. They're awesome!! Check hunting forum for more info on this find.

---

Photos from Anand. His first flush:


And his second flush:






Malabar India (a.k.a. Malabar or Mal)
Malabar is a moderately unique cube. It was discovered by 3M in Malabar, India.

The prints were given to several members of the online mushroom community and eventually, to vendors. The Shroomery's own Phrozendata, Roadkill and Thor all had a hand in domesticating the Malabar cube we know today.

Malabar is known for its caps and veils. The veils may stay connected to the cap, even when the cap is fully mature. The cap itself is known to be dark in the center and it fades to a light yellow near the edge.

Malabar is a beautiful cube, often with meaty stems and poor spore production.

Photo by Billbraski


Photo by Mac.






Malaysian
Collected by Mushroom John Allen. According to Ralphster, this cube can frequently mutate.

From www.ralphstersspores.com







Matias Romero (a.k.a. MR)
Matias Romero is a classic cube with a fascinating history.

According to mjshroomer, the Matias Romero was discovered near the town of the same name, in Mexico by Dr. Steven Pollock one of the forefathers of cubensis mycology. Pollock is reported to be the first mycologist to use poo/straw to grow cubes. He also discovered the sclerotia producing Tampanensis (not a cube).

As the legend goes, Professor Fanaticus, creator of the PF Tek likely created the PF Classic Cube we all know and love from Matias Romero spores which he purchased form Mr. Harris and the Homestead company in the PNW. PF Classic certainly does resemble Matias Romero.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Mazatapec (a.k.a. Maz)
There is surprisingly little Shroomery info about the origins of this classic but average cube. According to Ryche Hawk, it was first "Picked around Mazatapec Mexico". Maz has never been an extremely popular cube but it has never fallen into obscurity either. There are reports of Maz producing a 'Spiritual' trip but no hard evidence to support these claims.

From Kurupira.






Menace Strain
The Menace Strain is a unique cube.

The spores which eventually produced the Menace Strain were discovered in Texas by Lostfreddy. After receiving  a print form Lostfreddy himself, P. Menace's first batch looked nothing like the Menace Strain we know today. They were thin stringy mushrooms which hardly looked like cubes.  After extensive work, P. Menace was able to stabilize a much larger cube then he originally worked with. The result is the Menace Strain we know today.

The Menace Strain has a unique characteristic which displays itself in later flushes; the caps get very wavy in a pattern not unlike some hubcaps. For photos, see the link at the bottom of this entry.

According to The Shroomery's own P. Menace:

"This is the Strain I have been working with for some time to get it Stabilized, The Specimin was first collected from the Mid-Eastern Texas area, Wild Growing in a pasture, Losfreddy Collected a Spore Print.
Here is the original thread... These Were all Tiny Tiny Mushrooms they were grown in a milk carton.

I first received my print in November or December of 07.

So a ton of un-documented work (damn it) later, over a course now of 5+ months work with this strain... I believe I have Finally Done it!! Stabilized the strain!! Im beginning to wonder how big they can actually get!!

In the third flush the caps always begin to get this wavy look to them... Kind of a neat trait if you ask me."

For more info and photos, see this thread. 

Photos by P.Menace



Photos by Workman at www.sporeworks.com






Mestizo
A cube named after the Spanish term for mixed ancestry. May be from Mexico.

Photo from www.ralphstersspores.com






Mexican Albino
The Mexican Albino, despite its name, is not an albino. It probably is not even classified as leucistic (a lightly colored, almost white cube, with dark spores).

Mexican Albino was discovered in Mexico by Mushroom John Allen, and its caps are known to have a white ring around their edge upon full maturity. There are rumors that the Mexican Albino carries an albino trait and may occasionally produce a true albino fruit, but photographic evidence of this trait has proven itself elusive. Although cube races from dry places, often carry an albino trait (perhaps to reserve resources while growing fruits in less than optimal conditions). Cloning an albino fruit brings true albino flushes in future grows.

The name Mexican Albino sounds like a marketing ploy or wishful thinking.

from www.ralphstersspores.com







Mexicube
The Mexicube was discovered by the infamous Mr. G. in Southern Mexico. It is known for its light yellow-ish coloration and spotted caps. Many claim the Mexicube can produce multiple large flushes of medium sized cubes.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Mex Dutch King
According to Ralphster www.ralphstersspores.com, the Mex Dutch King was rumored to come from a cube sold as 'Mexican Cubensis' in a Dutch coffee (ie: weed lounge) shop. There is little other info available about the origins of this cube, or any unique characteristics. It seems to be an average cube. If you have fond memories of Amsterdam coffee shop cubes, or wish to go on a trip to Amsterdam some day, perhaps Mex Dutch King is worth a look.

From www.ralphstersspores.com







Mexican Cubensis #3
This cube was mentioned once on these boards by Millet of Sporeworks. Other than that, there is very little Shroomery information available. According to  Nan's Nook, it was originally sold as a fruitable version of Psilocibe Mexicana (Psilocibe Mexicana is not a cube, but it is certainly worth a look if you want to try an easy to grow magical species).





Na Muang Thailand
Discovered in Thailand by Mushroom John Allen.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Nepal, Chitwan
According to Anno, and Workman, this cube was discovered by barebel, Anno then acquired some of the spores and eventually sent a print to Workman at Sporeworks.

Workman said, "Original collection material was obtained by Baerbel in the village of Sauraha near the Chitwan Jungle of Nepal. Three specimens were located in otherwise dry climate conditions (three months after typical mushroom seasons), and shaded by a nearby tree. Specimens picked from what appeared to be either elephant or rhino dung. Original sample specimen pictures below and right."

And from Anno:

Quote:

---

Anno said:
A friend, baerbel,  asked me to post those pictures.
He took them  a few days ago in Nepal.





   

---

Picture from Mrheatmiser.






Oak Ridge
According to jeetered, "I found this strain growing wild, 5 miles west of Y12 nuclear weapons complex, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 USA, growing gregariously and singular in equine dung and surrounding enriched soils. Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA,  is where the atom bombs were built that "ended" world war II. "the secret city".

The Oak Ridge strain has no residual radiation, however where found, there were some mutated specimens. The soil was tested for mercury that was near the find, no trace amounts. As far as nuclear irradiation, no way jose.

They have long yellow stems, and large bright orange caps. the ones in the picture on FSRE had sporulated on themselves."

jeetered would like to keep Oak Ridge FREE. Donate it to spore rings, trade the prints, but please vendors, don't sell it.

Picture from Pazzy.






Orissa India (a.k.a. OI)
The first specimens were discovered by Mushroom John Allen. Although rumors abound about OI being discovered while growing in a wild elephant's dung, Allen put these rumors to rest. According to him, OI was found in cow poo, near Orissa India. OI's can grow to be quite large, and for a while, the largest reported cultivated Cubensis fruit was an OI.

From www.thehawkseye.com







Palenque
There is surprisingly little information here at The Shroomery about the origins of this classic cube. Palenque is named after a place in Mexico where cubes are seasonal. Cubes were used by Shamans in this region. Palenque was likely named after the region in which it was discovered.

Picture from DreaMaTrix.






Panama
According to Ralphster: "The original prints of this strain were collected growing in the Garden of a Hotel in Panama City. Isolated and introduced by yours truly."

Picture from angryshroom.


Picture from debianlinux.

Penis Envy (a.k.a. PE)
Penis Envy is a unique and classic cube. You should see good results with multispore, since PE is well domesticated.

The Shroomery's own RogerRabbit is fond of saying, "Cubes are cubes, with the exception of PE." This statement is rather profound considering its source. Attempting to get RogerRabbit to admit the differences between any cube 'Strains' is usually a lost cause.

The history of the Penis Envy is shrouded in legend, mystery, and famous names.

According to various sources including long-time Shroomerite, Mushroom John Allen (AKA mjshroomer), Penis Envy was probably discovered in Amazonian Colombia by Terrance McKenna and his brother Dennis in the early 1970's. Hamilton Morris reports the print came from, "A monstrous Amazonian mushroom growing on the dung of local Zebu cattle" and the original specimen, "was taller and thicker than anything found in American soils." Unfortunately, Morris' report has not been confirmed by either Dennis McKenna or his brother Terrance (before his death in 2000). In fact, Dennis McKenna was reported as saying, "(It) is news to me." when he was told the PE supposedly came from their own Amazonian spore collection.

So, perhaps the Penis Envy did not come from the McKennas at all, and perhaps it did. Perhaps the original specimen did not look like a penis until it was isolated by somebody else.

Perhaps the McKennas simply forgot about it... but this is doubtful especially if it looked like a penis. Terrance McKenna often talked about the masculine energy contained within a magic mushroom... and it is hard to believe he'd forget about a penis shaped cube from his own collection.

According to Hamilton Morris at www.viceland.com, pioneering Cubensis mycologist Steven Pollock received a sample of McKenna's Amazonian spores labeled 'Amazon', and Pollock himself, quite possibly isolated the penis shaped cube which we now know and love from McKenna's spores. John Allen among others, seem to believe this version of the story.

According to Morris' legend, Pollock mailed a sample of his spores labeled 'Penis' to Rich Gee in Washington state, right before Pollock himself was murdered in his home by a bullet to the brain. According to the same legend, Pollock was buried with a pocket full of Tampanensis sclerotia, a Matias Romero fruit in one hand and a Penis Envy fruit in the other. Discovery of Psilocibe Tampanensis (not a cube but worth a look if you want to try something different, magical, and easy to grow), and Matias Romero are both credited to Pollock. It is plausible that Pollock also, isolated PE.

Penis Envy was thought, to be long lost, at least at The Shroomery, until Mushroom John Allen discovered bulk print vendor, Rick Gee of MycoTech (see link at end of description), was still selling viable swabs of PE. In case you're wondering, a sterile, cotton swab is sometimes rubbed along the gills to collect spores from hard to print fungus.

Around the same time, The Shroomery's Dreamster1 (not his original username) gave Workman, from www.sporeworks.com, a sample of PE that reportedly originated from Terrance McKenna's own collection... which further clouds the PE's history.

Was Dreamster's print really from McKenna himself? Or, did it also come from Rich Gee, who always claimed the spores came from McKenna's Amazonian exploration?

Because some vendors got their original PE spore samples from Gee (presumably via Pollock), and Sporeworks perhaps got theirs from a source close to McKenna, it is unclear which vendor's PE spores come closest to the original specimen.

It is also, unclear as to who actually gave the Penis Envy its common name.

As you can see, the story/legend of the PE is filled with mystery and confusion. We may never know the whole truth. Still, the PE's mysterious background is part of the fun. At best, it is a historic cube, with connections to the forefathers of Cubensis mycology. At worst, it is a unique cube which looks like a dick.

Long-time Shroomery Sponsors (including www.Sporeworks.com and www.thehawkseye.com) later, reintroduced Penis Envy in print and syringe form, and began to sell the spores to the public. It has increased in popularity over time. Today, many vendors sell Penis Envy and it is among the most popular commercial cubes available... which is a ironic, since PE is a terrible spore producer, which makes it difficult for some vendors to meet increasing demands.

With Penis Envy, just because you see fruits does not mean you will see spores. Penis Envy fruits are often sterile (few or no spores drop) and the gills of the sterile fruit can be light yellow in color (Instead of spore-filled and dark). Later flushes usually bring more spores than the early flushes, but often only a couple fruits drop spores.

Since the cap rarely separates too far from the stem, a Penis Envy fruit can look like a circumcised penis. Penis Envy often has a thick gnarly stem. 

Penis Envy fruits often grow slower than a typical cube (but your results may vary). Those thick stems can take a while to reach full maturity. The DENSE fruits don't shrink much when dried.

When it comes to bulk, a flush of PE is comprible to flushes of other cubes. When compared to most 'mutant' cube strains, PE is a rather prolific fruiter.

It is not uncommon for Penis Envy to flush the occasional ALBINO fruit.

PE is potent, according to most who have tried it. In fact, of all the cubes, PE is almost unanimously reported to be very potent (at least, for a cube). There is surprisingly little debate concerning PE's potency. There is also, little evidence and less proof of PE's potency, but gram for gram, people really do seem to like it a LOT.

Because it looks like a penis when fruited, Penis Envy is a love/hate mushroom. Many people are simply turned off by the looks of this particular cube.

PE has been successfully crossed with other cubes, giving us new commercial PE variations including PE #6 (Texas crossed with PE), PE Uncut (PE crossed with albino), and Albino PE (again, crossed with albino).

Source link:
Viceland's 5 Page Penis Envy artical

Picture from www.thehawkseye.com


Picture from Workman at www.sporeworks.com


Picture from Cervantes.






Penis Envy #6 (a.k.a. PE6)
Penis Envy #6 is a unique cube.

Shroomery veteran RogerRabbit, "Crossed a standard PE with the Tex strain." The result was PE 6.

RogerRabbit's efforts were an attempt to create a modified PE which produced more spores... but the spores were accidentally released too early... when a few prints were unintentionally mailed out, in a stack of other prints. The infamous print which lead to the public outing of this particular cube was labeled PE #6.

Here's how RogerRabbit says PE #6 came to be:

"A single sector fruiting isolate of PE, and another of TEX were placed on a petri dish with rattlesnake venom added to the agar. The snake venom helped the two dikaryotic strains share genetic information to form a third sector, which was which was labeled PE6. Other Isolates of the PE were labeled PE 1-7, and apparently, some of the 6, which was the cross, were in the same batch of prints. The idea was to get a good spore producing PE, but I never had time to stabilize the strain due to accidentally releasing it early. That's why sometimes they look like texans and sometimes very much like PE."

PE 6 looks like a cross between Penis envy and Texans. The fruits often have LARGE caps, which open fully, unlike classic PE. They also produce spores. While the stems look quite a bit like PE. Thick and textured. Like little logs.

RogerRabbit confirms this description: "the caps that opened fully have fewer spores like PE, and they have the same gnarly stems too. Only the caps seem to be bigger and to open all the way."

Link to Primary source: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/7624855#7624855

Picture from _Otto_.






Penis Envy Uncut (a.k.a. PEU)
Penis Envy Uncut is a unique cube.

Workman... while attempting to cross PF Albino with Penis Envy happened across an interesting isolate. While this PFA/PE cross shared many of Penis Envy's external, macroscopic traits, the veils often stayed attached to the stems. This means the fruits can look like uncircumcised penises.

PEU albinism is not unheard of. But the PEU is not yet known for its albino fruits... just its, "Namesake veil" to quote Workman.

Like Penis Envy, PEU is often sterile, and spores may be few and far between.

This is still a relatively new strain. Perhaps there is still more to be learned about the unique traits of PEU.

Link to primary source: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/7182930#7182930

Picture from drjigglz


Picture from Workman at www.sporeworks.com






Peru
According to Ralphster, this cube is from the mountains of Peru.





PES Amizonian (a.k.a. Amazon or PESA)
PES Amazonian is a classic cube.

While it probably did come from the Colombian Amazon, Pacifica Exotica Spora, the company which first sold it was known to name cubes after locations even if the spores did not originate from said location (See PES Hawaiian). Still, the Amazon is quite large, and PESA likely originated from that region.

PESA can grow quite quickly, but like many other fast growing cubes, it is prone to hollow stems (and therefore reduced bulk). According to Workman, PESA resembles B+ Type 2, the cube which was accidentally sold by Sporeworks as B+ for a few years before the error was discovered and remedied. For a time, there were many reports of B+ with hollow stems.

Picture from Workman at www.sporeworks.com







PES Hawaiian (a.k.a. Hawaiian or PESH)
The PES Hawaiian is a classic cube with an interesting and mysterious history.

Most cubes are named after the place where they were discovered or after the person who discovered them. PES Hawaiian is an exception to this rule. There are no reports of cubes growing wild in Hawaii. While cubes grow in the sub tropics all over the wold, Hawaii's lack of large mamals (until relatively recently) combined with its isolated location (in the middle of the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean) make it quite unlikely that any cube spores could have naturally traveled to the island chain and found the proper conditions to grow.

Then why does PESH have Hawaiian in its name? Because the company which first sold it was located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Nobody knows where PESH really came from. PES Hawaiian may be a renamed version of another classic strain. Nobody seems to know for sure. What is known for sure is this: no wild cubes have been found in Hawaii, and if they are ever discovered, they'll most likely be cubes introduced by people (or the cows and horses people bring to the islands).

PES Hawaiian has been a moderately popular cube and the occasional mycologist produces some monster shrooms while working with it.

Picture from P.Menace






PF Albino (a.k.a. PFA)
The PF Albino is an albino variant of the PF Classic . It is a unique cube and it regularly produces fatasses (short and fat shrooms).

PFA fruits, the albinos at least, are waxy white in color, and bruise blue very easily.

Originally sold by Professor Fanaticus for a limited time, the albino was thought to be lost after the Professor's infamous 'strain/race' degeneration and Federal case.

According to Workman, "The PF Albino appeared in 2000 and was sold by fanaticus.com for a short time, but was discontinued due to strain degeneration. The degeneration was blamed on UV (black) light exposure. I was fortunate enough to get a print of this strain soon after its release and kept it in cold storage until 2005."

Despite the claims that these mutations are different species because of changes in spore color, they are in fact still Psilocybe Cubensis.

www.sporeworks.com sells a version of the PFA which comes from 1998 spores, well before the degeneration of PF's stock. The PFA has been reintroduced to the world of mycology.

From multispore, about 25-50% of fruits will be albino. If you want an ALL albino flush, you'll need to isolate, or clone.

Pigmented PFA's drop more spores than the albino fruits. While the albino fruits CAN drop spores, the spores can be few and far between. Also, albino spores are CLEAR. To print an albino fruit, you'll want to print to foil or glass (or as a last resort, dark paper)... otherwise, you may not be able to see the spores at all.

Link to primary source: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/4171176#4171176

Picture from PF's old website.


Pictures from Workman at www.sporeworks.com







PF Classic (a.k.a. PFC)
PF Classic is a sentimental favorite among many Cubensis enthusiasts. It is a classic cube and often a fatass (short and fat). PF Classic peaked in popularity in the late 1990's through 2002.

There are reports that PFC has a very thin veil which virtually disappears shortly after breaking.

According to Workman, "PF "Classic" was initially purchased by PF from the Homestead Company (one of the few cubensis spore sources at the time) around 1990. No one seems to be sure where the original wild spores were collected, but it has been suggested that they are of Matias Romero stock, which it does resemble."

The entire catalogue of PF Brand spores was almost lost to degeneration. Some wonder if the degeneration was due to black light exposure... but Workman suspects the PF 'strains' are all infected with a fungal virus... which may contribute to PF Classic's propensity to mutate (PF Classic has spawned the PF Albino AND the PF Redspore) and degenerate.

PF Classic is not known to produce many spores. You may have to wait longer for PF Classic spore production to begin, than with most cubes. Once the veil breaks and the cap extends, you still may have to wait an extra day or so... before sporulation.

Professor Fanaticus created the PF Tek in 1991. This tek allowed people to cultivate mushrooms without a pressure cooker, grain, glove box or a flow hood. The PF Tek greatly simplified cubensis cultivation for hobby mycologists. The PF Tek is still very popular.

On Tuesday, February 18 2003 Professor Fanaticus' home was raided by the DEA (United States Drug Enforcement Agency).

Although selling cubensis spores is legal, it seems selling spores AND selling info on how to grow them was a problem for the American DEA. Compounding that problem, were the 11 grams of cubes, minuscule grow op, and 2+ ounces of marijuana discovered during the raid.

Professor Fanaticus got off relatively easy (and he thanks his lawyer). He got 6 months of house detention and 3 years of probation. His wife was also given 3 years of probation. On Dec 14, 2006 the Professor's probation came to an end.

The Professor recently turned 60 and now spends his time playing guitar in the Seattle area.

Source links: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/2111034#2111034
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/6670033#6670033

Picture from JokerGD.


Picture from Critic.






PF Redspore (a.k.a. PFR)
PF Redspore is a unique cube. It produces rust colored spores and fatass shrooms.

The PF Redspore is a variation of the PF Classic which produces brownish/red spores... instead of the purple/brown/black spores which are common for Psilocibe Cubensis. PF Redspore is not to be confused with Redboy, which is a DIFFERENT cube with red spores.

According to Workman, "The PF Redspore spontaneously appeared in a tray of PF Classic around 1996 but wasn't released until 2006. This was well after the www.fanaticus.com raid of February 18th 2003."

Like PF Albino, PF Redspore is prone to aborts.

PF Redspore lacks the pigmentation to create darker spores and is an interesting addition to any collection.

Link to primary source: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/6670033#6670033

Picture from Workman at www.sporeworks.com







Pink Buffalo (a.k.a. PB)
Known as Pink Buffalo or Thai Pink Buffalo, this cube was discovered by Milo Zverino in Late September 2000. It is named after the occasional pink Bubalis Bubalis buffalo. A buffalo which is usually grey. The name of the strain implies the type of poop the original cubes were growing in, but this has not been confirmed.

A long lost Shroomerite, and frequent visitor to Thailand, mjshroomer was the first to sell the spores.

* Note This is a quote from an outdated post. The spores are LONG GONE. Don't bother contacting the user for a print.
From
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/316757#316757

Quote:

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mjshroomer said:

This fast new colonizing Race of P. cubensis from Ban Saket, Thailand is now available. I have only five prints.  They are $15.00 each plus $3.00 SHipping and Handling Priority US Mail. This is a one time offer only from me. Soon others will carry this print.

This race of Cubensis was collected by Milo Zverino in Thailand on or around the last day od September 2000 and is the 2nd generation in vitro prints.

mj

Have a shroomy day and may all of your days be shroomy.

---

Bubalis Bubauis, the Asian grey and/or Pink Buffalo:
http://www.mushroomjohn.org/samui3.htm

According to MJ, while discussing Thai pan [copelandia] cyans.)

These mushrooms appear in the manure of the Asian water buffalo Bubalis Bubalis, of which 1 in 10 are pink (Fig. 2c) and these mushrooms are common in rice paddies (Fig. 2d) throughout Southeast Asia



On a side note, mjshroomer was eventually perma-banned from The Shroomery. Use the search feature to learn more. It is sad that one of the world's most important cubensis collectors had a falling out with this community... but there is evidence that mj is high maintenance... to say the least. To his credit, mjshroomer knows a LOT about the history of many cubes. Perhaps more than anyone else in the USA.

Picture from ignuF.






Plantasia Mystery
Mystery Solved... well, sort of.

According to Workman:

Quote:

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Workman said:
1996 through 1999 there was a very small online company called The Grow Room that sold prints of Psilocybe azurescens (and a few cubes).  They had a single picture of an outdoor patch of handsome sharply nippled mushrooms.

1997 archive:

http://web.archive.org/web/19970119125218/www.growroom.com/whatnew.htm

http://web.archive.org/web/19970119130306/www.growroom.com/shrooms.htm

A year later (1998) the mushroom page moves and many spores are sold out and the name changes to Plantasia.

Another year later (1999) the hydroponics part is gone and now the growroom page is called Plantasia

http://web.archive.org/web/19990125095736/http://www.growroom.com/

By 2000, the site is gone.

http://web.archive.org/web/19981206164427/members.iquest.net/~plantone/shrooms.htm

Original Plantasia site picture at Hawks Eye.
http://www.thehawkseye.com/plantasia/plant3.gif

There was an apparent ownership change around 1999 and the new owner was moving the old print stock and getting some viability complaints.  Ryche and I were sent a print of the supposed azure to test for viability and I determined they were actually cubensis (and viable).  These tests were posted at the shroomery but are now lost.  Ryche renamed them as Plantasia Mystery and started selling them.  I just stored some and gave the rest away. Anyway, maybe that will lead to a more complete story.  They never looked much like the original picture but the original picture is obviously a cube.  But since the GrowRoom was selling other cubes its not even certain we were sent the spores that match that picture.

---

Picture from darkfly.


Picture from charvo.






Puerto Rico (a.k.a. PR)
According to Workman, the Puerto Rico was discovered in, "Puerto Rico, near the town of Canovanas located on the Northeast side of the island." It is known to have larger than average caps when compared to the size of its thin stems. This type of Puerto Rican cube is known to be an aggressive colonizer which is prone to overlay. It is also popular for its famed potency. While there is no proof to lend credence to the claims of PR's potency, many experienced psychonauts swear by it.

Picture from Workman at www.sporeworks.com






Quezon Philippines
A cube, supposedly from the Philippines and given to Ralphster by the FSRC's Shdwstr.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






R44
According to Ralphster:

"A few years ago, I tried my luck with foraging, and found several very nice strains, Unfortunately my labeling left something to be desired, so the location will have to be set as the Southern States.

After 2 years of trail and work, my suppliers have finally sent me something I can be proud to present to you… the R44.

Think dense fruits, with heavy stems an mid to large size caps, heavy spore drops and excellent potency. I’m certain you will be pleased.

An excellent addition to any collection."

From www.ralphstersspores.com






RalphstersSpores Brand Spores:
RalphstersSpores is a long time Shroomery vendor. He has helped The Shroomery stay online when money was tight, and he used to run the American Free Spore Ring (FSR). Ralph's business had to move his shop to another state a few years back when Idaho chose to make the sale and purchase of hallucinogenic mushroom spores illegal. This law was likely made in order to force RalphstersSpores out of Idaho.

What makes Ralph so special? He sells a larger variety of cubes than any other Shroomery vendor, many of which are exclusive to Ralph. Ralph's 'Strain of the Month' special is loved by newbies. He offers fast, and discrete service. Ralph's customers are very loyal.

Ralph's large collection of cubes can lead to confusion, because Ralph simply doesn't show the complete heritage of every single cubensis variety he sells.

RalphstersSpores is a cash only business. You must send him the money for your purchase before he sends your order to you. There is no option to pay with a credit card.

Be sure to ask Ralph for his free 'Strain of the Month' when you place an order. If you purchase cube spores from him, he will throw in a free cube spore syringe (the variety changes every month)... but only if you ask.





Redboy
Redboy is a unique cube.

Redboy was a popular cube a few decades ago but it was thought by many to be long lost. RogerRabbit had an old print and used almost all his spores attempting to get it to germinate. It was simply too old. He had to resort to crossing Redboy with Puerto Rico and a little rattle snake venom. It worked. Here's the story in RogerRabbit's own words:

Quote:

---

RogerRabbit said:
After 20 years of sleeping, the RedBoy lives! A mycological Coup d'Etat had to be pulled off to get this mushroom back after 20 years. The spores would simply NOT germinate.

Monokaryotic Puerto Rico mycelium was allowed to crawl over the non-germinating original 20 year old redboy spores in a petri dish, resulting in a 50/50 cross between the redboy spores and the PR mycelium, without the original spores ever germinating, which they were no longer capable of after 20 years.

Rattlesnake venom was added to the agar after cooling to weaken both the cell walls of the spores, and the cell walls of the mycelium, allowing the nucleus from each to exchange genetic information between them. The experiment was duplicated with the offspring, resulting in a 75% pure strain, which was then released to the public.

The result is a 'cross' between the original UNgerminated redboy spores and a cubensis from Puerto Rico. Even though this is a cross,(NOT hybrid since it's two strains of the same species) you can clearly see the red color of the spores.

Enjoy.

---

Since it was crossed with regularly pigmented cube, Redboy does not always drop red spores. RogerRabbit once asked that people and vendors only trade and sell the RED spores... in order to help the Redboy remain true to its name. Perhaps RR has taken a softer stance recently, but... if people don't heed his advice, the burgundy colored spores the Redboy is famous for producing, may be lost forever. A real Redboy should come from a RED print. For now, you may need to clone or isolate. Vendors, are you listening?

Redboy's red spores are supposedly darker than PF Redspore. According to RogerRabbit, Redboy also, bruises green... which is pretty cool. Most cubes bruise blue.

A unique cube indeed. A lot of work went into bringing the Redboy back. Now, vendors and traders might have to do some work to keep it real... at least for the time being.

Link to primary sources: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/4520275#4520275

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/newreply.php?Cat=0&Board=4&Number=7934584&page=0&what=showflat&fpart=1&vc=1&q=1&replystamp=1245898283

Picture from RogerRabbit.


Pictures from xswaveyx.







SG30
A classic cube that is new again. This may be the only cube resurrected from 30 year old spores on record... or at the very least, the only one that is commercially available. This should be called the Lazarus Strain because it truly came back from the dead. One hell of a story!

Here's the story according to Shdwstr. If this cube is Lazarus, Shdwstr is Jesus:

From http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/9625624#9625624

Quote:

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Shdwstr said:
I isolated the SG30 myself. and the strain came from a print I made myself over 30 yrs ago. And... other than it taking a much longer time (over a week) to rehydrate it was still very strong and vigorous.

The original strain came from a small bag of street shrooms which I purchased in my youth. If there are any old timers out there, they might remember the little black (almost rancid) baggies of mushy shrooms we had access to so very long ago. Man it was tough choking those down.
A friend who worked at a mushroom farm showed me the methods of isolating this on agar to get a clean culture to work with, and then how to create the spawn and straw substrate required to grow some fruits.
After many, many agar plates we were able to isolate a clean culture and do a successful grow and obtain a few nice prints, which even way back then were printed on foil.
One larger print was labeled, dated and stuck in an envelope, in a drawer of other keepsakes which followed me in various moves for 30 years.

A small portion of the print was made into a syringe and allowed to rehydrate for a day, at which time, a few drops were place on agar to see if they would still colonize, but they didn't... nothing at all. I guessed it was because of the spores not getting completely re hydrated, so each following day new agar dishes were inoculated with a couple drops just to see what would happen. I intended to do this for 30 days, and date each petrie dish.
Around the 10th day, we started to see some growth. By the 12th day, you would have thought the spores from that print were only a few weeks old, the growth was fantastic.

---

Pictures from ShadowSpore.







South African Transkei (a.k.a. SAT)
The South African Transkei cube is a miracle of nature. It seems to be the only cubensis specimen ever identified, discovered and collected in South Africa. South Africa is at the bottom of the African continent, hence the name SOUTH Africa. It may be the only cube collected this far from the equator. Transkei was discovered growing in poo in the shade of trees near the coast of the Indian Ocean in the Transkei region of South Africa. This region was also the birthplace of Nelson Mandella.

Unlike the Colorado cube, which may not be a wild cube from Colorado, Transkei's origins are well documented, and it was discovered at a low elevation, near the ocean.

Transkei is prone to overlay, and produces average sized fruits. The Shroomery's own Roadkill swears Transkei is very potent, often stating, "They are the reason Africans wear bones in their noses!"

Picture from www.thehawkseye.com


Picture from Una.






South American (a.k.a. SA)
South American is a known producer of medium to LARGE fruits. It is a strain from Venezuela so it should probably be called 'Venezuela' but it already has a name. Many South American cubes are favorites of mycologists due to their larger than average size. In fact many different varieties of cubes from the South African continent are known for their large size.

Paul Stamets has theorized that cubes are not native to South America... rather they were accidentally introduced when Spaniards brought cattle... and those cows... well you know where cubes come from don't you?

The South American strain was first sold by former Shroomery vendor sporechicks.com but the vendor had a falling out with this community and went offline. For a while, the SA was thought to be lost, until vendors like The Little Guy and Ralphster helped bring it back into fashion.

Recently SA has become quite popular among cube cultivators, finally getting the attention it deserves.

Currently, the largest and heaviest reported single cubensis mushroom was grown by P. Menace from SA spores.

Picture from P.Menace


Picture from HolyDiver.






Sporeworks Brand Cubes:
Sporeworks is a long time Shroomery sponsor and a legitimate mycological supply company. Sporeworks is a mycologist's dream. SW sells a larger variety of cultures and spores from more different mushroom species than any other Shroomery vendor. While other vendors may sell more different types of cubes, SW also sells edibles, exotics and a huge variety of hallucinogenic spores (for microscopy use). SW's customer service is top notch. If you are interested in more than just cubes, you owe it to yourself to take a look at Sporeworks.

Sporeworks' cubensis selection focuses on unique and classic cubes. SW cubes have been expertly domesticated. Almost every single variety of cube sold by Sporeworks is unique... and often exclusive to SW. If you want Albino Penis Envy... or Menace or Columbian Rust Spore...etc, there is only one place you can go.

Sporeworks is a business but they are also focused on research. Sporeworks own Workman has been on the forefront of hallucinogenic mycology for many years and his discoveries have often changed what we know to be true about magic fungus. An order from Sporeworks will fund future mycological research.

Be sure to mention that you are a member of The Shroomery when you place an order. You should get a free cube syringe with any order of equal or greater value... but only if you say the magic words.





Stropharia
A cube with a confusing name.

Stropharia is the name a different species of mushroom which is non-active (sometimes toxic... ) and grows in wood chips. It looks surprisingly like cubensis.

This cube, due to its name, has led to plenty of confusion.

BUT, according to www.wikipedia.com the Cubensis was first known as Stropharia Cubensis. The Psilocibe Cubensis was first called Stropharia Cubensis when it was first named by F.S. Earle in 1904... in Cuba... hence the root "Cub".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_cubensis

The name Psilocybe is derived from the Greek roots psilos (ψιλος) and kubê (κυβη) and translates as "bald head". Cubensis means "coming from Cuba", Cuba being the type locality published by Earle.

* 1904 First described as Stropharia cubensis by F.S. Earle in Cuba

And here's an interesting old picture from Anand showing Stropharia Cubensis for sale:


So, a Stropharia Cube may not be as misleading as one would first suspect.

Perhaps it is an old 'strain/race'... perhaps it is named after the original Cuban Cubes... unfortunately, more information is needed in order to get to the bottom of this tale.

Photo from parpas.






SyZyGy
SyZyGy is a classic cube.

Anand received a twelve year old print with Terrance McKenna's handwriting on it. He was asked to this lost strain. He did, and then sent a bunch of prints to the FSRE (Free Spore Ring Europe).

According to the FSRE, "Syzygy was the shop of the McKenna brothers based in Honaunau, Hawaï. This cubensis is also called Syzygy, is culivated from a 12 year old print with McKenna's writing on it. The prints Anand made and donated are from the first batch cultivated with this old and nostalgic print. So original dna in the house."

Thank you Anand, for resurrecting SyZyGy. Most folks thought it had been long lost.

Photo from Anand:






Tak Mountain Cube
Discovered by Mushroom John Allen (aka mjshroomer) in the Taksinmaharat National Forest in Tak Thailand. It was first known as  Taksinmaharat National Forest Mountain Cube but it was quickly renamed. Workman received the first spore specimen the original specimen and Ralphster currently sells it.

Here's the story in mj's own words:

Quote:

---

mjshroomer said:
Soon to come, a pictorial from last summer, never before viewed images of my shroom hunting adventure at 1000 Meters altitude in the Taksinmaharat National Forest.

While on foray with my colleague, one other female professor and five female students from Chulalongkorn University, we first drove from bangkok to ma Sot, on the Thai border and I went into Burma for a while.  Then later in the day we drove back to Tak and stayed in a beautiful lodge with three bedrooms.. My colleague and our driver from the university stayed in one bedroom, I in another and the girls all in a larger f room.  Most of the cabins at the national Forest are privately owned by Thai citizens.  There were park Rangers and also two French Environmentalists checking soil contents and air and water in the Hill Tribes surrounding areas.  The Frenchmen, were sleeping outdoors in sleeping bags rather than a cabin.  They said they were on a budget, but one of them told me he was just keeping most of the funding for himself and sleeping outdoors and in low priced bungalows rather thatn the expensive hotels.

WE saw beautiful flora and fauna not seen in other rego ions of the world.  Photograhed many mushrooms and hiked in and around tiger lands.  Saw a bear in a tree, snakes and insects.

On the last day there, my colleague ask me to look at a small mushrom in the grass.

At first I showed no interest until I observed a slight bluing on the stem and a little ont he edge side of the cap.  It was a small cube.

later i learned from a nearbyu shed, that they had powdered manure and the workers there would sprad this dried buffalo manure throughout the grasses in the common areas of the park.

Later when I have time to go through the disc and size and adjust the images, I will post the mushrooms growing form the sporeprints I made of this mushroom.

One went to Workman and I was able to cut a piece of the 2nd print for myself. that later print went to my friends in the Nederlands for spore propagation.

The shrooms are gigantic and were slow in coming. 

---

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Tapalpa
This Cube supposedly was discovered near Guadalajara Mexico.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Tasmania (a.k.a. Taz)
The Tasmanian cube comes from Tasmania and may have been collected by B.I.O.

Photo from TrippinRhino.






Texas (a.k.a. Tex)
The Texas cube is interesting if not exactly unique.

Texas is slow to colonize, pin and fruit. Texas cubes, once mature, have a lot of character. It seems cubes which take a longer than average time to grow often look more withered and tree-like than their faster growing counterparts. A mature Texas fruit can have a thick, gnarled stem and a surprisingly dense and withered cap.

Roger Rabbit crossed Texas with PE to create the PE #6. He crossed them in an attempt to make a PE which produced plentiful spores. PE #6 was leaked before RR had finished working on it. Texas is an obvious choice to cross with PE, because their stems look quite similar and both have thick caps.

Like other cubes from potentially dry regions, the Texas variety can produce the occasional albino fruit.

From Workman at www.sporework.com


From Anand.







Texas Goliad
A cube from Texas, perhaps from Goliad county which is a surprisingly long way from the coast.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Thai #3 (T3)
According to Roadkill, T3 came from a third generation isolate of Hawk's Ban Hua Thanons.

From Psilopleix.






Thai Lipa Yi
Another cube discovered by Mushroom John Allen. It was found in a field on Lipa Yai which is on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. Many people compare this cube to the Koh Samui Cube. Lipa Yai is known for its thick stems and is reported to be slightly taller than the average Koh Samui Cube.

From www.ralphstersspores.com






Thai Mystery
Mushroom John Allen accidentally discovered this Thai cube when he tried to work with spores from a small pan (copelandia) cyan print. Instead, he grew this cube. How cubensis grew from a copelandia print is a mystery... but Allen is certain the cube came from Thailand. Hence the name.

From www.ralphstersspores.com


From ShadowSpore.






The Hawk's Eye Brand Spores:
The Hawk's Eye is a long time Shroomery sponsor. Although Ryche Hawk himself has remained reclusive since 'Operation Pipe Dreams' and Professor Fanaticus' arrest. So, don't expect to see him posting at The Shroomery any time soon.

If you enjoy working with agar, you may want to give The Hawk's Eye a look.

Hawk has a nice selection of cubes, and he strives to keep many of them as genetically diverse (or wild) as possible (unlike other vendors who sell very domesticated varieties of the same cubes). Hawk goes to great lengths to properly credit and report about the origins of his cubes.

Hawk is neither the cheapest nor the most popular vendor out there, but his diligent work ethic and discrete service make him one of the best.





Treasure Coast (a.k.a. TC)
The history of the Treasure Coast Cube is shrouded in mystery.

Treasure Coast was first sold by Mr. G. the controvercial creator of the B+ (f you didn't know the story, Mr. G. claims his B+ was a cube/azure hybrid... it isn't). Because Mr. G. is one of the most unreliable vendors to have ever had a user account here at The Shroomery, it is impossible to know if he is telling the truth about his creations in any of his posted rants. Use the search feature to learn more about Mr. G.

Treasure Coast (TC) is known to produce the occasional albino shroom although there is little photographic evidence so it is hard to say if they are true albinos or faux albinos (which are simply pale cubes). Treasure Coast is a rather pale strain, lighter in color than most.

According to Sporeworks and The Hawks Eye's Ryche Hawk, the TC is from Southern Florida's Gulf Coast, but there is some disagreement as to where TC originated mostly due to Mr. G.'s habitual lying.

TC is a classic strain, it has been sold for years by many different vendors. It is possible that some vendors do not sell the original strain, there is some disagreement as to what a 'normal' TC looks like. TC is a favorite among veterans, many of whom swear it has above average potency. There is no proof or even solid evidence to support these claims.

Ryche Hawk of www.thehawkseye.com claims the TC can grow 3 distinctly different types of substrains, implying you never know what you'll get when you use multispore to grow TC.

Perhaps the most interesting of Hawk's claims is this: "We have also seen first hand a few woman friends get very excited from these mushrooms. They giggled of body tingles that tickled their bodies in all the right places.... almost orgasmic they put it ."

Ladies? Who wants to try TC and let us know how it goes? TC may be the perfect date cube... or this could all be wishful thinking on the part of a trusted vendor. Clearly, more research is needed.

Workman, states the TC produces fewer cubes than average but the cubes produced are bulkier than the average cube. According to him, TC is neither fast or slow... producing fruits at a relatively average rate.

TC is an interesting, if not unique cube, and it is certainly worth a try. You may end up with an average cube or you may be in for a surprise... especially you females.

A photo of an albino and regular TC, courtesy of mister.


And an amazing flush, also from mister.


From Workman at www.sporeworks.com






U.S. Virgin Islander (a.k.a. U.S. Virgin Island or USVI):

The original Virgin Islander print came from St. Thomas on the Virgin Islands. Joshua isolated it and had a contest to name it. JazzMatazz won the contest. Ironically Ralphster from www.ralphstersspores.com now calls sells it as U.S. Virgin Island (instead of 'Islander') and while this name more accurately describes the location of discovery, it was not the cube's original name. USVI is an average looking cube with light coloration and thin stems.

From www.ralphstersspores.com


From Joshua.






Vietnamese
There is limited info about this smaller than average cube. It was p

Quote:

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nicechrisman said:
The Malabar I grew didn't have particularly meaty stems. They shrunk up quite a bit in drying. Mine were from Ralph. Maybe just multispore genetics...

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Quote:

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nicechrisman said:
Yeah, I also found that the veils didn't stay intact as much as I've seen in pics (and I tend to harvest earlier rather than later), so maybe you're on the right track as far as selecting for easier spore printing.

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Quote:

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trekie said:
hawaii did have wild boars on it before humans well at least white ones.

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Quote:

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lacma50 said:
lol
do you know what species of mushrooms grew in hawaii before human introduction?
knowing what those grow on could help narrow it down on what the native pans grow on

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Cervantes said:
What is odd though is this:

Hawaii does have native Pan Cyans... which also like poo. Although, pan cyan spores are smaller than cubes, so they may have made the oceanic trek more easily (small spores blow further)... but what did they grow on before cow and horse poo?

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Livingston said:

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Cervantes said:
What is odd though is this:

Hawaii does have native Pan Cyans... which also like poo. Although, pan cyan spores are smaller than cubes, so they may have made the oceanic trek more easily (small spores blow further)... but what did they grow on before cow and horse poo?

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Probably deer feces.  Deer where brought by boat to Hawaii as a present to the Hawaiian King.  I can't remember which country offered them as a gift...but now they are a REAL nuisance on the islands, especially Molola'i and Lani'i.

Deer are herbivores like cows and horses and could have ingested grass which carried spores.  It's possible that when the boats where emptied of the deer feces after a long voyage (that which wasn't dumped overboard) the feces had fungal spores in it which then germinated and was further propagated by the deer...

Just a thought

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Cervantes said:
A laden swallow did not carry coconuts to Hawaii

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trekie said:
hawaii did have wild boars on it before humans well at least white ones.

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Cervantes said:
It is a Keeper Brand cube. See the entry for Keeper in the first few posts of this thread.

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evl said:
what kind of strain is "shooting stars" from earths tounge?

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hyphae said:
Just wanted to add a cool characteristic of PFC's their veil is so microscopically thin that is disappears shortly after the veil breaks.

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