Psilocybe Baeocystis: Identification, Potency, Trip Effects, & Dosage

Psilocybe baeocystis is a hallucinogenic fungus endemic to the Pacific Northwest that has been discovered growing wild in sections of New England. It may or may not be indigenous to New England. It may have been brought up. The plant is prevalent in garden beds that have been mulched with wood chips or peat moss, as well as in ancient but well-kept lawns. It’s not widely-known, perhaps because it’s tough to produce and doesn’t dry well. It also appears to have a restricted range.

It’s important to note that using the mushroom’s psychoactive properties—or simply intentionally owning the mushroom—is prohibited in most areas. Please research the legislation in your region and use caution. A journey to jail does not seem appealing.

Etymology and History Of Psilocybe Baeocystis

• From the Greek words baeo (little) and kystis (bladder)
• 1945 P. baeocystis is first collected in Eugene, Oregon.
• 1958 P. baeocystis is formally described and published by Singer and Smith.
• 1962 Psilocin is first reported in this species.
• 1967-68 Baeocystin and norbaeocystin are discovered and named.
• 1981 Testing again reveals psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin and norbaeocystin.

Description Of Psilocybe Baeocystis

• Pileas: The cap is conic to obtusely conic to convex and is 15-55 mm (0.6-2.2 in) in diameter. When young, the cap margin is curved inwards, seldom becoming level with age, and is frequently clearly rippling, translucent-striate, and bruised, aging greenish-bluish along the margin. Its hue ranges from dark olive brown to buff brown, with hints of steel blue; when dried, it trends toward copper brown in the middle. When moist, it is hygrophanous, fading to milk white, and viscid from a gelatinous pellicle that is generally detachable. The flesh is thin and readily bruises blue.
• Gills: The gills are close with adnate to sinuate attachment and are grayish to cinnamon brown, with the edges remaining pallid.
• Spore Print: dark purplish brown
• Stipe: The stipe is 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in) long, 2–3 mm (0.1–0.1 in) thick, and equal to subequal. The color is pallid to brownish with white filaments, while often more yellowish towards the apex. Distinct rhizomorphs are found at the base. The stipe is brittle, stuffed with loose fibers, and the partial veil is evanescent and rapidly becomes indistinguishable.
• Taste: farinaceous
• Odor: farinaceous
• Stain: It stains blue easily where damaged.

P. baeocystis is more unique than most other Psilocybes due to its wavy edge, which frequently (but not always) gives the mushroom the appearance of having a piece of fabric draped over it. The mushroom also has a strong bluing reaction, occasionally bruising blue even when rained on. The mushroom as a whole may become blue.

Microscopic Features

Psilocybe baeocystis spores are (8.5) 9.5-13.7(17) x (5) 5.5-6.6(7.1) m in deposit, rectangular in face view or asymmetric ellipsoid (mango shape) in side view. Pleurocystidia are missing, and the basidia are 4-spored. Cheilocystidia are fusiod with a thin neck and measure 20-30(40) x 4.5-6(9) m. This species is closely related to the subtropical Psilocybe aztecorum and Psilocybe quebecensis, both of which have crowns that bleach to white when dry.

Habitat and distribution

Psilocybe baeocystis grows solitary to cespitose and in small to large numbers on ground bark, wood chips, peat moss, decomposing conifer mulch, lawns, pastures, and infrequently in coniferous woods. Often found in mulched garden beds under plants like rhododendrons and rose bushes, and occasionally amid other Psilocybe species like Psilocybe stuntzii and Psilocybe cyanescens. Psilocybe baeocystis blooms from August to December, and only rarely before the end of June. The hemiboreal mushroom Psilocybe baeocystis is abundant in the Pacific Northwest.

Biochemistry

Benedict et al., 1962, were the first to describe psilocin in this species, and a few years later, Leung and Paul would publish the similar substance baeocystin, isolated from saprophytic growth, as well as the desmethyl metabolite norbaeocystin. Beug and Bigwood (1981) used reverse-phase HPLC and thin-layer chromatography to determine the amounts of these chemicals in Psilocybe baeocystis. Psychoactive chemical concentration ranges from these trials were reported to be 0.15-0.85% psilocybin, up to 0.59% psilocin, and up to 0.10% baeocystin.

Psilocybe Baeocystis Look-Alikes

Most other Psilocybes resemble P. baeocystis to varied degrees. This mushroom is also one of the LBMs (“little brown mushrooms”), a big collection of mainly unrelated mushrooms that look alike. Some of them are quite poisonous, therefore careful identification is essential.

Effects Of Psilocybe Baeocystis

P. baeocystis has the same effects as psilocybin, a psychoactive chemical known to produce hallucinations, changes in mood and cognitive patterns, problems with motor coordination and balance, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. Serious responses, such as extreme anxiety or convulsions, are uncommon but possible.

Many people enjoy psilocybin because the emotional changes sometimes include euphoria and a sense of connectedness, and the altered cognitive processes frequently result in valuable personal insight. The chemical is also being studied for its therapeutic properties. Because psilocybin usage is illegal, research is still in its early stages, but many individuals are already utilizing it to treat a wide range of ailments, from anxiety to sleeplessness to epilepsy. Many people swear by the efficacy of psilocybin.

Potency

P. baeocystis is considered extremely potent when fresh, but much weaker when dried

Growing Psilocybe Baeocystis

P. baeocystis is difficult to culture, and it is unclear whether it has ever been successfully grown indoors. One of the issues is that it performs poorly on sterile surfaces.

It may be planted outdoors on well-rotted wood chips and other organic debris, although it takes a long time to fruit. It’s worth noting that because mushroom gardening in general produces a large flush of mushrooms all at once, producers frequently have to save much of their crop for later, generally by drying—which isn’t ideal for a species that loses most of its power as it dries out. Gathering a few mushrooms in the wild may be a better bet.

Dosage Of Psilocybe Baeocystis

When fresh, P. baeocystis is exceptionally strong in comparison to most other Psilocybes, indicating that dosages must be minimal. Most individuals typically consume one or two mushrooms at a time. However, optimal dose can vary greatly based on the sort of experience desired, the user’s sensitivity to psilocybin, and the potency of the specific mushrooms—potency can vary within a species as well as across species.

It’s always better to err on the side of taking too little than too much. After all, taking too little might be unsatisfying, but taking too much can be harmful.

Having said that, if you want to try and discover a dose that works for you, consult our general magic mushroom dosage guide. You may also use our magic mushroom dosage calculator, which allows you to select from six dosage levels, including microdose and heroic dose. Lemon Tek and Shroom Tea are two popular ways to consume P. baeocystis.

Toxicity, Safety, & Side Effects Of P. Baeocystis

P. baeocystis has a reputation for being a hazardous mushroom, since it has been responsible for the deaths of two children. Actually, the youngsters ate mushrooms of a different species that had long been mistaken. That again, any mushroom containing psilocybin may theoretically kill someone if the dose is high enough—it’s just that such events are extremely rare. It’s unclear whether this species has any reported deaths. It’s possible that it won’t. Psilocybin is a reasonably harmless mind-altering substance.

Less severe but still dangerous responses are uncommon, but they are possible, especially at larger dosages. The most prevalent is certainly extreme anxiousness. The danger can be reduced by avoiding higher-than-intended dosages (err on the side of too low, not too high), arriving emotionally and physically prepared, keeping the environment comfortable and pleasant, and never traveling alone. It’s also crucial to take the time after the fact to properly integrate the experience, to learn from it, and not to take it for granted as merely a good time.

Mistaken identification is another cause of hazard. Mistaking one psychotropic mushroom for another might lead to catastrophic dose errors. Mixing psychotropic and poisonous species is much worse. A human eater can be easily killed by the Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata) and others. P. baeocystis, like many other psilocybes, may grow in mixed patches with other species, including its doppelgangers.

It’s not that these mushrooms can’t be distinguished. They’re not. It’s because a forager who skips steps, assuming that a mushroom that looks right must therefore be okay, might quickly end up in big difficulty. Every single mushroom intended for human use must first be correctly and thoroughly identified—even if it comes from a clump of mushrooms that has previously been properly sorted out. You don’t want the mushroom you didn’t look up to be the Deadly Galerina.

The police are the last source of risk when it comes to P. baeocystis, because psilocybin in any form is banned in most countries. The rules vary by jurisdiction, as does the government enthusiasm to uncover and prosecute possession and usage, but in many areas the restrictions are tight and the penalties are severe. It is critical to understand the law in your region before considering breaching it.
It’s not our place to advocate that someone disobey the law at all.