They also release their spores in unique patterns. What is a Mushroom Spore Print?Ī mushroom spore print is a pattern on paper, foil, glass or other flat surfaces consisting of thousands of spores dropped from a mushroom’s spore-bearing surface.ĭifferent types of mushrooms don’t only have spores of different shapes, sizes and colors. Mushroom spores come in a wide range of colors, including shades of white, yellow, cream, green, brown, red, purple, rust and black. Without a microscope, humans can only see their color when thousands of spores are together. You cannot see their shape and size with the human eye. Spores come in different colors, shapes and sizes and are extremely small. Mushrooms each carry and release millions of spores that all contain the genetic material necessary to form new mushrooms.ĭepending on the type of mushroom, the released spores get carried to new locations by wind, water, insects or animals. Spores perform the same function for fungi that seeds do for plants. Mushroom Spores are tiny reproductive cells that fungi use to reproduce and spread. Lurking in the shadows behind the bright lights of pharmacological testing and clinical trials, some basic understanding of the sources of natural psychedelic compounds like psilocybin remains a mystery.7. Are the mushrooms conserving their psilocybin stores? Would psilocybin inhibit spore growth? Is there psilocin in the spores? But the real key lies in discovering the enzymatic and other molecular mechanisms that are working behind the scenes. Mycologists have some high-level understanding of why magic mushroom spores don’t contain psilocybin. So, what exactly is the “something” that happens? More Research is Needed Something happens in the biotransformation of flesh into spores that result in spores being devoid of psilocybin. There is a proportionate loss of psilocybin as now the flesh is less massive. He continued, “When the flesh transforms and becomes gills, and the flesh thins, and then spores form from the gills. The gills are very small and spores have not yet formed in mass” (Paul Stamets, email communication, July 2021). The mushroom flesh is thick at first – rich in psilocybin et alia.

“Psilocybe cubensis mycelium makes mushrooms which have lots of psilocybin, psilocin, and other analogs. Psychedelic Science Review reached out to Stamets for further insight on the state of the art in psilocybin and spores. Therefore, the statement is suggesting that somewhere along the way between gills and spore formation, psilocybin stops going along for the ride. cubensis, Stamets said (34:46), “… spores contain no psilocybin, the flesh of the mushroom transmutates into gills into spores.” 3 While discussing potential commercial growing operations of P. In June 2021, psychedelic mushroom expert Paul Stamets was a guest at the Oregon Department of Human Services Psilocybin Advisory Board Product Subcommittee Meeting. Why is there no psilocybin in the spores? When in Doubt, Ask Paul Stamets

This presents an interesting question for mycologists to take on. The production of psilocybin-containing mycelium (and the subsequent mushroom fruiting) is a violation of the law in many jurisdictions. It’s a different story when a person introduces the spores into a favorable environment and mycelium starts growing. Hence, the spores are available for purchase but only for microscopy studies. cubensis (and other psilocybin-containing mushrooms) don’t contain psilocybin. It is also well known in the psychedelic mushroom cultivation community and law enforcement that the spores of P. Interestingly, the mycelium of many psilocybin mushrooms such as Psilocybe cubensis also bruises blue, indicating the presence of psilocybin.

1 Historically, expert mycologists like Paul Stamets have relied on bluing as one criterion for identifying psilocybin-containing mushrooms in addition to a purple-brown spore print. Claudius Lenz discovered the chemical mechanism behind the transformation of psilocybin molecules into blue compounds. Psilocybin mushrooms (aka magic mushrooms) have a long-standing reputation for turning blue when bruised or undergoing environmental stress. Bauer, MS Psilocybe cubensis spore print. No one knows, creating an opportunity for further understanding of single psychedelic compounds in the natural world. Mushrooms Why Don’t Magic Mushroom Spores Contain Psilocybin?