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Devil's Advocate Reged: 09/24/03 Posts: 22518 Loc: Mod not God |
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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: Photo from www.ralphstersspores,com Ban Nathon Dhupatamyia (a.k.a. BND) Another Thai cube discovered by Mushroom John Allen. Quote: 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: 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: According to Ralphster: Quote: 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 -------------------- Fiddlesticks.
Edited by Rose (04/07/12 01:04 AM)
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. However, I wish to be as historically and scientifically factual as possible and will keep this list updated to the best of my abilities. 