Gymnopilus purpuratus

Gymnopilus purpuratus is mushroom which grows in clusters on dead wood, pig dung and wood chip mulch. It is widely distributed and has been recorded in Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, the UK and Germany. It has a rusty orange spore print and contains the hallucinogen psilocybin.

Gymnopilus purpuratus
Gymnopilus purpuratus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Agaricales
Family:
Cortinariaceae
Genus:
Gymnopilus
Species:
G. purpuratus
Binomial name
Gymnopilus purpuratus
(Cooke & Massee) Singer
Gymnopilus purpuratus
float
Mycological characteristics
gills on hymenium
cap is convex
hymenium is adnexed
stipe has a ring
spore print is yellow-orange
ecology is saprotrophic
edibility: psychoactive

A chemical analysis done by Jochen Gartz found that this species contains 0.34% psilocybin, 0.29% psilocin and 0.05% baeocystin.

Description

The cap ranges from 1.5 to 6 cm across, is convex to obtuse, and is reddish brown with a dry scaly surface which is sometimes cracked in age. The stem is brown-red and covered by fibers and has blue-green spots where the stem is damaged. The gills are crowded, yellow to orange, and adnexed. The stem is dusted with rusty orange spores and has a cottony scanty partial veil.

See also

List of Gymnopilus species

References
  • Guzmán-Dávalos, Laura; Mueller, Gregory M.; Cifuentes, Joaquín; Miller, Andrew N.; Santerre, Anne (Nov–Dec 2003). "Traditional infrageneric classification of Gymnopilus is not supported by ribosomal DNA sequence data" (PDF). Mycologia. 95 (6): 1204–1214. doi:10.2307/3761920. JSTOR 3761920. PMID 21149021.
  • Mushroom Observer: Name: Gymnopilus purpuratus (Cooke & Massee) Singer
  • Hesler, L. R. (1969). North American species of Gymnopilus. New York: Hafner. 117 pp.

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