weiliiiiiii said:

Do subbs have larger spores than casters?

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Comments by a real mycologist has caused me to reassess this identification.  This may actually be better described as Panaeolus olivaceus, which I did consider but rejected as a European species unlikely to be found in Georgia.  But apparently the species is widespread and has been reported from North American and Australia as well as Europe.

What adds to the confusion is that Ola'h's description of P. castaneifolius was based on a sample of P. olivaceus and not the original collection of Panaeolina castaneifolia Murrill which Ola'h thought he was reclassifying (apparently unaware of the original collection's availability).  According to Gerhardt this makes the name P. castaneifolius invalid.

The spores of P. castaneifolia are much rougher and similar to P. foenisecii.  P. olivaceus spores are finely roughened and more transparent with visible oil drops. 

The immature spores of P. olivaceus are green when in water under the microscope but this color fades when the spores are in KOH (which is what I use).  I need to recheck the spores in water to see if this feature is present.

 

This confusion also means that publications using Ola'h (1969) to describe P. castaneifolius are actually descriptions of P. olivaceus. This includes Stamets' Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World.  Which has mixed the two species into one description.  Using the description of P. castaneifolius from the readily available Stamets as an example (page 74), we have P. olivaceus macro and microscopic features well described but the habit, habitat and distribution information is of P. castaneifolia.  The statement that

Quote:

some but not all collections of this species contain psilocybin

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is probably also a result of this confusion.  What a mess.

The spores of real P. castaneifolia are dark brown in deposit and its unlikely to be Psilocybin active.  This would explain the oft repeated comment that P. castaneifolius is often mistaken for P. foenisecii.  Gerhardt also says that large brown collections of P. olivaceus could be confused with P. subbalteatus  (P. cinctulus)

Geez, I hope that makes sense to someone.

Quote:

Gerhardt also says that large brown collections of P. olivaceus could be confused with P. subbalteatus

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