Inocybe aeruginascens

Inocybe
Inocybe aeruginascens Inocybe aeruginascens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi Division: Basidiomycota Class: Homobasidiomycetes Order: Agaricales Family: Cortinariaceae Genus: Inocybe Species: Inocybe aeruginascens
Binomial name
Inocybe aeruginascens M. Babos (1968)

Inocybe aeruginascens is a member of the genus Inocybe which is widely distributed in Europe. This mushroom species was first documented by J. Ferencz in Osca, Hungary on June 15, 1965.

Description

Inocybe aeruginascens is a small mycorrhizal mushroom with a conic to convex cap which becomes plane in age and is often fibrillose near the margin. It is usually less than 5cm across, has a slightly darker blunt umbo and an in incurved margin when young. The cap color varies from buff to light yellow brown, usually with greenish stains which disappear when the mushroom dries. The gills are adnate to nearly free, numerous, colored pale brown, grayish brown, or tobacco brown. The fruiting body has greenish tones and bruises blue where damaged. The spores are smooth and ellipsoid, measuring 6-9.5 x 4.5 micrometres and forming a clay brown spore print. The stem is 2-7 cm long, 3 to 8 mm thick, and is equal width for the whole length, sometimes with some swelling at the base. It is solid, pale grey, becoming bluish green from the bottom up. The stem is fibrous and appears to be covered with fine powder near the top. It has a partial veil which often disappears in age and an unpleasant soapy odor.

Distribution and habitat

Inocybe aeruginascens is widely distributed in temperate areas and has been reported in central Europe and western North America.

This mushroom grows in moist sandy soils in a mycorrhizal relationship with poplar, linden, oak and willow trees.

Edibility

Contains psilocybin, baeocystin and a newly discovered Indole which Gartz named aeruginascine. (N, N, N-trimethyl-4-phosphoryloxytryptamine) In the 1980s several mushroom collectors in Europe ate this species believing it to be edible, causing accidental intoxications which were reported as being very euphoric.

Some experts believe the euphoria is due to the aeruginascine, which is closely related to psilocybin and the frog skin toxin bufotenidine, and has been found exclusively in Inocybe aeruginascens so far. Aeruginascine is a trimethylammonium analogue of psilocybin.

References

General References

• Inocybe aeruginascens Babos by Jochen Gartz [1]
• Aeruginascin, a Trimethylammonium Analogue of Psilocybin from the Hallucinogenic Mushroom Inocybe aeruginascens [2]
• Extraction and analysis of indole derivatives from fungal biomass [3]
• Mushroom John - Inocybe aeruginascens [4]
• New Aspects of the Occurrence, Chemistry, and Cultivation of European Hallucinogen Mushrooms [5]