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mjshroomer
Sage
Registered: 07/21/99
Posts: 13,774
Loc: gone with my shrooms
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For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus
#5661232 - 05/22/06 06:28 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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For Newbies who need to see photos of this species
read:
http://mushroomjohn.com/panaeolussubbalteatus1.htm
and then read below.
Excerted from Psychedelic Illuminations 5, 1994:
Close Encounters of the Panaeolus Kind
By
John W. Allen
Originally printed in issue number 5 of Psychedelic Illuminations. 1994. And posted here int he sticky at the top of the page.
An inquiry into the field identification of a psychoactive agaric commonly referred to as the "Weed Mushroom," Panaeolus subbalteatus.
This following paper is meant to be used only for the macroscopic and mycological identification of Panaeolus subbalteatus and not for any illicit activity.
Panaeolus subbalteatus is an entheogenic fungi which contains the psychomimetic indole alkaloids psilocybin, psilocin and baeocystin. Historically, this fungi is referred to as the "Weed Panaeolus." According to Singer and Smith (1958), it is "one of a number of weed fungi [like crab grass is to grass] found spontaneously like weeds in beds of the cultivated commercial white mushroom Agaricus bisporis [your common grocery store mushroom or champignon as the French refer to it]." During the past 100 years Panaeolus subbalteatus has been referred to by many different binomials, including the "poisonous mushroom" Panaeolus venenosus. Other mycologists have named it Panaeolus rufus, Panaeolus semigloblatus, and Panaeolus variabilis. It may even be conspecific with Panaeolus papillionaceus. The latter species is also referred to as the "butterfly" mushroom.
Since the early 1900's, numerous intoxications occurred when P. subbalteatus was accidently consumed as an edible variety. Early reports regarding accidental inebriations from Panaeolus species date back to the Chin dynasty (2nd century a.d.) and the 11th century in Japan. Many ancient Chinese herbal medicine books list Panaeolus species as the cause of a laughing sickness and describe cures under the heading of "Cures for the laughing sickness." A remedy for this laughing malady requires a potion consisting of an infusion of water, which has been filtered through topsoil. The inflicted party would drink the potion to alleviate the intense laughter after accidently or purposely ingesting psilocybian fungi.
Panaeolus subbalteatus is a cosmopolitan species found all over the world. It is common in the dung of cattle and composting hay and/or haystacks. Other habitats include lawns, open fields and riding stables. Its season extends from late February through early June and again in August and September. Panaeolus subbalteatus fruits abundantly in rotted haystacks in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. In the Hawaiian archipelago, P. subbalteatus is abundant in cow manure at the 3000-foot elevation above and below Kula highway on Maui Island.
ENCOUNTER NUMBER ONE
My personal discovery of Panaeolus subbalteatus in Kent, Washington, and a step by step method used in identifying this common black spored agaric.
In 1982 I was on a mushroom foray in a pasture, in Kent, Washington, a field where I had previously been involved in studying the growth, development and various habitats of the "liberty cap" mushroom (Psilocybe semilanceata), one of the most common and sought after mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest. During this foray I came upon a most startling discovery, one that would definitely make my day.
There, right in front of my eyes, was a tiny grouping of what appeared to me to be some very small mushrooms, mushrooms which I believed just might possibly contain the hallucinogenic compounds known as psilocybin and psilocin.
Over the years, my day-by-day field research was finally beginning to pay off. In fact, it had become somewhat of a daily habit, which I ritualistically enjoyed. I had been gaining a very deep insight in identifying many varieties of fungi and my knowledge of species had tremendously grown since I first discovered the "liberty cap" mushroom back in 1972.
It was in the early part of April and I had been wandering from field to field for about three hours. On this particularly cloudy and sometimes rainy spring day, I came upon and espied a fairly small sized grouping of multi-banded fungi (marked by zones of color). I soon became enchanted by their fresh appearance. They were in a cluster and appeared to be huddling together like a family trying to keep themselves warm. I noticed that the mushrooms seemed to be asking the sky to bring them more fresh rain so that they could grow tall, as if they were trying to reach out to the heavens above them.
One of the first notable features I observed about these mushrooms while gazing at their radiance was that they were growing directly from out of a dung heap or what is commonly referred to as a cow pie.
Gazing at this wonderful symbiosis of mushroom and dung, I began to realize that these mushrooms just might possess some sort of celestial energy. It was as if they were telepathic and speaking to me in a language that only they and I knew. Somehow I could feel their aura and I knew that they had been calling me from afar to come and visit them. They were inviting me to their home so that I could experience all that they were. Inviting me to pick them from their habitat, which they knew so well. I felt that they transcended to me warmth that only I knew and the wind seemed to whisper over and over, "pick me, pick me if you dare." Within a few seconds of time, beginning from that very moment when my eyes first gazed upon their presence in the dung, a slight grin began to appear across my face and I smiled as my heart fluttered and palpitated exceedingly faster then it normally did. I was flushed with excitement because I realized the potential which these little mushrooms might have in store for one such as I who had humbly wandered into their time and space of existence on this green little planet which we call earth.
Immediately I proceeded to kneel down on the ground next to the mushrooms. As I did, my knees began to melt as they slowly sank into the soft wet moist dewy grass that grew around their humble home of a cow pie. During the next several minutes I proceeded to take several photographs of the fungi while my eyes slowly scanned the caps, gills, and stems of the mushrooms as I attempted to key the fungi into their exact genera and species.
First I observed that the pileus or caps of the mushrooms were somewhat zonate, that is, they had layered zones of different shades of color running from the outer edges of the cap towards the center. Each cap was similar in appearance, each exhibiting several shades of a reddish-brown to a pallid tan tone. Later while I dried some of the mushrooms in the sun I noticed a color change that occurred during their drying stage. It transformed their radiance from a cinnamon reddish-brown (sometimes a fawn color) to a light copper brown in the center of the cap and they dried to a pallid white tone.
The center of the cap looked somewhat knobby in appearance. Eventually the color of the caps of the mushrooms seemed to fade to a pallid white gray tone and in some specimens the caps of the mushrooms had become pitted, wrinkled and parched while they dried. The younger specimens which I observed were mostly bell shaped or ovate and some were even convexed to umbonate in age. The margins on some of the caps were slightly incurved but did not seem to be translucent (viscid when moist) like their cousins the Psilocybes.
Next I turned over the pileus (cap) which I was now holding in my hand and I proceeded to take out my portable scissors from inside of my back pack. I then cut the stem of the mushroom from off of the cap and placed the cap of the mushroom (gill plates facing down) onto a piece of white paper which I had extracted from my back pack. I needed to make a sporeprint so that I could properly identify the genus to which these mushrooms belonged. I then placed a small jar over the mushroom cap so that the spores would fall properly down onto the paper and not blow away.
This procedure is an important step for the amateur mycologist who wishes to avoid an unpleasant accidental intoxication of a possible poisonous species of mushroom. It is also an important step in keying to genus, various species of fungi and proper field identification of a fungi species is necessary.
After twenty minutes I lifted the small jar from off of the paper and removed the mushroom cap, which revealed the exact color the sporeprint had produced. Much to my amazement I was astonished to find that my mushroom cap had created a beautiful sporeprint. One which resembled a spiraling eye which was totally jet black.
Black spores are representative of several different genera (1) Coprinus (inky caps) and (2) Panaeolus (of which the latter species also include the cosmopolitan genus Copelandia and Anellaria.
Next I decided to check the gills of the mushroom cap which I had used to produce my sporeprint. I carefully examined the gills as well as their structure and I noticed that the edges of the gills were white and somewhat variegated or mottled. The margin of the cap seemed to overlap the gills.
I then picked up the stem that I had earlier cut from the mushroom cap and examined the end of it to determine if it was hollow. It was. This is another common feature in both Panaeolus and Psilocybe species. The color of the stem ranged from a dark reddish-brown to a light fawn color. It appeared to have vertical lines running like spirals up and down the stem which was also covered with white fibrils. No veil or remnants of a veil appeared to be present. The base of the stem was covered with a fine fluffy patch of white mycelium with threads of mycelia protruding around it's bulbous bottom.
All of a sudden my eyes began to sparkle and light up like a bright comet streaking through the sky that had suddenly began to clear up. I then noticed a tiny tinge of heavenly azure blue running along the base of the bulbous stem from where I had plucked it from out of the dung. Now and only now did I realized that this small black agaric fungi which I had stumbled upon during my humble wanderings was none other than the infamous weed fungus known as Panaeolus subbalteatus.
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mj
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Zen Peddler


Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 6,379
Loc: orbit
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: mjshroomer]
#5662958 - 05/23/06 03:36 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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very interesting post. I have read that these little guys can cause real bad body issues and ive also heard that these little fellows provide quite an interesting and unique intoxication - what are your thoughts on either?
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Gumby
Fishnologist


Registered: 06/13/01
Posts: 26,656
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Zen Peddler]
#5662973 - 05/23/06 03:43 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I'll offer my thoughts.
I've had a patch of them growing from the grass compost pile growing in my backyard for about 4 years. I've tripped on them quite a few times.
Granted, you have to seemingly eat a TON of subbs, I enjoy them the most.
I've never had any body issues. Infact, for me it's mostly visuals and mind. I tend to get severe cramps in my inner knees with Psilocybes and Gyms, but not with Pans. They're the most visual, social, and enjoyable mushroom I've tried. A+ from me
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Zen Peddler


Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 6,379
Loc: orbit
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Gumby]
#5662981 - 05/23/06 04:03 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Yeah ive spoken to a guy who was telling me that some ancient pagan societies of europe selectively chose only this mushroom for certain rituals - whether thats true or not im not sure, but ive heard lots of good things all the same... cheers for the info
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Edgekrusher
God
Registered: 10/10/05
Posts: 674
Last seen: 17 years, 1 month
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Zen Peddler]
#5663845 - 05/23/06 11:25 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Nice read. Thanks
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mjshroomer
Sage
Registered: 07/21/99
Posts: 13,774
Loc: gone with my shrooms
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Edgekrusher]
#5665542 - 05/23/06 05:07 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Other habitats are discussed in the artcile posted here an at the mj shroom site.
mj
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Zen Peddler


Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 6,379
Loc: orbit
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: mjshroomer]
#5667591 - 05/24/06 03:38 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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is that like product placement? Keep up the posts MJ - always interesting
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georgeM
Human


Registered: 07/05/05
Posts: 1,748
Loc: Osage Cuestas
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Zen Peddler]
#5668563 - 05/24/06 12:22 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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My experience with subbalteatus mirrors Gumby's. I find the amount required to dose with this species makes it particularly easy to adjust the intensity of the experience before ingesting… Provided you have a bit of experience of course. Very pleasant, good visuals usually of an extremely benign nature, subbalteatus typically does not raise a hair of apprehension. And they can be established in outdoor patches with relative ease to boot. Pretty neat mushrooms. georgem
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N-van psilocybe
Stranger
Registered: 02/11/10
Posts: 1
Last seen: 13 years, 8 months
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Gumby]
#12080045 - 02/22/10 08:40 PM (13 years, 11 months ago) |
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may i ask where u found the gym's?
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Chaos_ultt
Stranger

Registered: 09/05/08
Posts: 1,050
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: N-van psilocybe]
#12080121 - 02/22/10 08:48 PM (13 years, 11 months ago) |
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this thread is 3 years old
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Twiztidsage
Fungal Databaser



Registered: 12/05/08
Posts: 8,089
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Chaos_ultt]
#12080569 - 02/22/10 09:58 PM (13 years, 11 months ago) |
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I thought I was trippin' when I saw MJshroomer's name on the board....
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psylosymonreturns
aka Gym Sporrison


Registered: 10/16/09
Posts: 13,948
Loc: Mos Eisley,
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: Twiztidsage]
#12082005 - 02/23/10 08:08 AM (13 years, 11 months ago) |
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hahahaha me too!
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German Kahuna
Facepalmer of Stoopid


Registered: 10/31/08
Posts: 15,798
Loc: On a Chemical Vacation
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Re: For Noobies: How to Find and Identify Panaeolus subbalteatus [Re: mjshroomer]
#12082698 - 02/23/10 11:13 AM (13 years, 11 months ago) |
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This thread has been closed.
Reason: 3 3/4 yo thread... Move on folks, nothing to see here.
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