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stratjef
Stranger
Registered: 10/23/15
Posts: 16
Last seen: 8 years, 1 month
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ID request: Psilocybe semilanceata?
#22423698 - 10/23/15 04:35 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Is each specimen in these photos Psilocybe semilanceata (liberty caps)? These specimens were recently found in central Europe. Would you please be so kind as to glance briefly through the few attached photos to see if you concur regarding the identity of the species, as well as perhaps point out anything that is apparently not clearly the species? The primary concern here is whether they could be a galerina or other toxic species. I'm new to the world of P. semilanceata.
General observations:
1) Spores: Unfortunately no prints could be taken due to fast drying during transit, although spore color could be assessed in about 1/3 of species as dark chocolatey purple-brown, since about 1/3 of specimens displayed some spore deposits around the annular zone. I did try to take spore prints, but the paper always lacked spores the next day...presumably due fast to drying. 2) Gills: 100% of specimens had gills that were dark chocolate brown with faint purple tint, and usually something like between 15 to 40 gills present, usually with bifurcations in the gills halfway down the cap (also seen in many online photos of both liberty caps and galerinas alike) 3) Caps: Separable gelatinous pellicles on caps when wet (I've read many galerinas also have this). Cap outsides were dark brown to dark grey when wet (with sort of an organgish/brown tinted semi-transparent umbo (tip)...which typically resembled a nipple in shape), and usually showed very dark purplish-tinted brown around the periphery of the cap (same as gill color). It some cases, when the cap was very well preserved and very wet, I could see a faint white periphery on the cap. Caps were typically less than 2 cm wide and tall, with a general nipple like shape...sometimes more triangle like. When wet the gills can be seen through the cap when viewed from above. If the cap was more dry, the color becomes more of a yellow in certain sections, just like I've read with liberty caps. 4) Stems: Only about 5% of specimens displayed some very minor blueing at base of stems near attached mycelium/dirt...I've read liberty caps do not blue very easily, due to low psilocin content (high psilocybin content instead-yay!). Stems were usually fading in white to brown in color (more brown toward the base, more white toward the cap). Stems were very thin (4 mm or less), and very long relatively, at about 5 to 15 cm long. 5) Drying: can see pale yellow/gold color formation on caps upon drying. Gill area remains dark chocolate brown upon drying. Stems become dark brown, with sort of an iridescent quality when viewed in bright light. On the cap edges, the purple tint is more obvious after drying, if viewed under a bright light. 6) Collection sites: Specimens were found in soggy alpine cattle pastures of Austria, Switzerland, and northern Italy, in October, with elevations between 1000 and 1500 meters, typically after periods of rainfall and/or mist, and found in medium length grass near cow dung...just like is normal for liberty caps. The alpine pastures appeared quite old (no tree stumps), and trees were typically more than 20 meters away. Also, the collection sites were typically uphill from trees. 7) Bruising....in 5% of samples, bruises faint blue, near base of stem, and in one specimen, near middle of stem.
I've read about the danger of Galerinas and other poisonous species, and I'm pretty dang sure these specimens here do not contain any rusty (orange/yellow) or white colored spores....all gills are dark chocolate brown. There were however small bright orange mushrooms of similar size and shape near the sites of collection, especially when moss was present. Interestingly, there were also specimens nearby that macroscopically resemble P semi's, although the gills were too white to be trusted--these were not collected. (Perhaps they were simply missing the spores?) The collection appears homogenous, with each specimen matching the description above. Precautions following collection included discarding mushrooms that lacked homogeneity with the rest of the collection, based on factors such as: too faint of a gill color (ie not exactly chocolate brown with purple tint), no easily separable gelatinous pellicle, and no gold-colored cap after drying. Still I'm slightly paranoid these could be some sort of toxic species, since the main distinction seems to be in the spore color (and I couldn't get spore prints).
Thanks.



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Specops2594
Shroomer



Registered: 10/02/12
Posts: 458
Loc: PNW, Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 8 months
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Re: ID request: Psilocybe semilanceata? [Re: stratjef]
#22423724 - 10/23/15 04:42 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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yeah those are libs. wait for a TI though just to be safe
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RiverDweller1



Registered: 03/05/12
Posts: 4,347
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Re: ID request: Psilocybe semilanceata? [Re: Specops2594]
#22423748 - 10/23/15 04:47 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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stratjef
Stranger
Registered: 10/23/15
Posts: 16
Last seen: 8 years, 1 month
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Re: ID request: Psilocybe semilanceata? [Re: Specops2594]
#22423749 - 10/23/15 04:47 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thank you for the fast reply. Maybe a dumb newb question, but what is a TI?
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stratjef
Stranger
Registered: 10/23/15
Posts: 16
Last seen: 8 years, 1 month
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Re: ID request: Psilocybe semilanceata? [Re: stratjef]
#22423759 - 10/23/15 04:48 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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OK, literally after I pressed enter, I saw TI = trusted identifier. Sorry bout that
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stratjef
Stranger
Registered: 10/23/15
Posts: 16
Last seen: 8 years, 1 month
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Re: ID request: Psilocybe semilanceata? [Re: RiverDweller1]
#22423785 - 10/23/15 04:55 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thank you for the positive ID
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