I'll be breaking down each species in the subgenus copelandia in the posts in this thread.  Posting mycelium, microscopy, and fruit body observations.  Linking iNaturalist observations.  And including any research papers that I come across for the species.  While reserving this opening post for general information and taxonomy.  If anyone would like to contribute to our understanding of these species or has questions that aren't primarily about cultivation, please make yourself at home.

But this isn't a cultivation thread.  If you have questions about cultivating one of these species, please ask here.

The most recent taxonomy information comes from this article.  Note that the name of the subgenus in this article was published in error.  It's still copelandia.

Systematic study of Panaeolus (Agaricales, Galeropsidaceae) sensu lato and psilocybin-producing traits of species from China



And a blast tree using some of the same squences in the image above, several of Scott's cyanescens sequences, as well as some from this thread (Bisporus Coleville, the chlorocsytis used here, IND01, and SA02).

Quote:

Panaeolus subg. Bresadolomyces M.Q. He & R.L. Zhao, subg. nov.
MycoBank No: 860264
Diagnosis.

Species of this subgenus have relatively thin-fleshed, dirty whitish or gray to grayish-brown pigmented basidiome, some species turning blue or bluish-gray when get injured; basidiospores smooth, ellipsoid, limoniform, cruciform-rhomboid.
Type species.

Panaeolus cyanescens Sacc.
Etymology.

Named in honor of Giacomo Bresàdola (1847–1929) for his research contributions to agarics taxonomy and introduction of Copelandia.
Synonyms.

Copelandia Bres., Hedwigia 53(1–2): 51 (1912) [1913] (nom. illeg., Shenzhen Code, Art. 52.1); Panaeolus subgen. Copelandia (Bres.) Ew. Gerhardt, Biblioth. Bot. 147: 32 (1996) (nom. illeg., Art. 52.1). – Type: Copelandia papilionacea (Bull.) Bres., Hedwigia 53(1–2): 51 (1912) [1913] (nom. inval., Art. 35.1); Crucispora E. Horak, New Zealand J. Bot. 9(3): 489 (1971).
Description.

Basidiome relatively thin-fleshed, dirty whitish or gray to grayish-brown pigmented, some species turning blue or bluish-gray when cut or bruised; the cap surface not slimy; basidiospores smooth, ellipsoid, limoniform, or cruciform-rhomboid; the hymenium always contains thick-walled pseudocystidia (metuloids) that often secrete crystals at the tip.
Notes.

The synonym name subg. Copelandia was proposed with the type P. papilionaceus (Gerhardt 1996). However, P. papilionaceus had already been designated as the type of Panaeolus subg. Panaeolus by Quélet (1872). According to the Shenzhen Code, Art. 52.1, Panaeolus subg. Copelandia is illegitimate. Subgenus Bresadolomyces is proposed mainly based on phylogenetic evidence to accommodate Copelandia-like species and species formerly placed in Crucispora. Copelandia-like species cluster together with Cr. rhombisperma in clade C, which is well supported statistically (SH-aLRT/PP = 96/1.0). Copelandia-like species are mainly characterized by grayish, relatively fragile basidiomes that turn blue when injured or bruised. They represent the main psilocybin-producing group within Panaeolus, with the most well-known species being P. cyanescens.
Species included.

P. axfordii Y.W. Hu, Karun., P.E. Mortimer & J.C. Xu, P. bisporus, P. cyanescens (Guzmán) Voto & Angelini, P. mexicanus, P. rhombispermus (Hongo) Birkebak, Voto & Ostuni.

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Quote:

Panaeolus cyanescens Sacc., Syll. Fung. 5: 1123 (1887).
Notes.

Description, see Gerhardt (1996). Panaeolus cyanescens is a well-known species recognized for its psilocybin-producing trait. It is a relatively easy-to-recognize species in the wild because its white-to-gray basidiomes turn blue when wounded or touched. In the phylogenetic analyses, this species is placed in subclade C1, where it shows a sister relationship to the clade composed of P. axfordii, P. tropicalis, P. bisporus, and several unnamed samples.
Specimens examined.

China. Guizhou Province: Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Libo County, 4 August 1988, Jian-Zhe Ying, Chen-Liu Zong, and Ning Li, HMAS57723.

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Panaeolus cambodginiensis

iNaturalist Observations

Komodo Island

iNaturalist Observation
Shroomery Original Post and in situ photos

Microscopy Observations - 10% KOH

tree frog said:

According to the microscopy keys, this is a cambo.



And this is a cyan.



But this is two different mature fruit bodies from the same tray.  One showing thin walled metuloids and one showing thick walls.

And some additional context, the available ITS sequences for cambos group with cyanescens.  They share habitat.  And they cross breed very easily.

I don't think cambos are a species.  But a metuloid expression.

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Workman said:

Panaeolus (Copelandia) tropicalis has been a thorn in my side for ages.  The published descriptions are vague, conflicting in some details and in French and German.  After examining dozens of collections, I was beginning to suspect that P. tropicalis wasn't even a real species and just a variety of P. cambodginiensis. 

BUT!!! now that I have actually seen one, its completely obvious when viewed under the microscope.  I instantly knew something was different when I first placed the specimen under the microscope, even at 100x magnification.  The metuloids (pleurocystidia) are nearly solid black (actually a very dark reddish brown).

I'll be putting together a microscopy guide for the 4 species of Copelandia (cyanescens, cambodginiensis, bisporus and tropicalis) for future reference.

Notes below:

Andaman Islands, India




This specimen has exceptionally thick walled Pleurocystidia, which is characteristic of Panaeolus tropicalis.  This is the first convincing specimen I have observed so far.  The specimen is badly contaminated and decayed.  No cheilocystidia were observed but are assumed to be present.  Isolation attempts to procured a more pristine specimen are underway.

From Gerhardt: (translated from German)

Quote:

Panaeolus tropicalis is mainly characterized through the typical form of the Metuloids. Their thick-walled shape and the conical top which is later completely filled with wall material are unique within the subgenus.

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Drawing of P. tropicalis metuloid from Gerhardt


For comparison, the image below is what could be considered a typical Copelandian metuloid.  This example is P. bisporus but P. cyanescens looks nearly identical.




Previously I had misidentified a specimen of Panaeolus cambodginiensis as P. tropicalis in this thread.

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/6950069#6950069 

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