ch wider expansion of the species. In coming
years, we should expect the species to further
migrate into areas with sandy soil.
The Inocybe species are mycorrhizal
mushrooms, that is, in contrast to Magic mt.co.kr
info mt.co.kr Magic mt.co.kr
info mt.co.kr Magic other psilocybincontaining
species, they require a symbiosis with
certain types of wood in order to fruit. Fruiting
occurs at the time of greatest biochemical activity
of the symbiotic partner trees. Following periods
of extended rainfall, Inocybe aeruginascens grows
in the trees' root areas from late May until
October. The mushrooms are especially common
in May and June, a time period during which
Inocybe aeruginascens is easily differentiated
from other species of fibreheads, as long as one
pays close attention to locations, the characteristic
greenish to bluish discoloration (e.g. if the
mushrooms are stored overnight, especially in the
refrigerator) and the description shown below (see
Figure 32).
Figure 32 - Description of Inocybe aeruginascens (Germany, 1986) with English translation at right.
Figure 33 - First description of Inocybe aeruginascens
in the mycological literature (M. Babos, 1968).
Figure Neon Shrooms 34 - Inocybe aeruginascens fruiting bodies from
Potsdam, Eastern Germany.
Unlike species of thin-fleshed Psilocybe
mushrooms that do not fruit until fall, Inocybe
aeruginascens frequently suffers from fly larvae
infestations, especially in older colonies. The
resulting lesions are injured areas that turn
greenish-blue. It must be noted, however, that of
all species introduced here, Inocybe
aeruginascens is most easily misidentified by
laypersons, as it is of the same genus as the
potentially lethal species that produce
muscarine.
Drewitz's speculation that Inocybe
aeruginascens contains psilocybin was supported
by results from my own investigations in 1984.
Extracts of more than 100 mushrooms collected
in Hungary and Germany from 1967 to 1990
were examined. Quantitative analyses revealed
that the fruiting bodies contained a fairly
constant amount of psilocybin each, as well as
some baeocystin. These results were first
reported in February, 1985. Later that year, the
presence of psilocybin in Inocybe aeruginascens
was confirmed by research teams from the
former West Berlin, Regensburg (Germany) and
Switzerland. Known cases of intoxication
seemed to indicate that the fruiting bodies
contained small amounts of muscarine. But
among all the samples that were tested - at all
stages of development and from widely different
collections - not one specimen contained even
trace amounts of muscarine.
In collaboration with colleagues from
Czechoslovakia, we were able to confirm that
the average alkaloid content does not vary much,
a finding based on analyses of extracts from
several mushrooms. Moreover, the alkaloid
content of fruiting bodies stored for prolonged
periods declined only slightly over time:
TABLE 6
Psilocybin Content of Inocybe aeruginascens
from Various Locations (% of Dried Samples
xican mushroom species, so that
these materials need not be repeated in this
context. However, certain aspects concerning the
more recent uses of these mushrooms as well as
their conditions of growth will receive more
detailed attention in later chapters.
The main purpose of this book is to
inspire further study of these mushrooms,
particularly basic research efforts and medical
applications of magic mushroom ingredients.
The extensive bibliography will help
scientists and other interested mycophiles to
further immerse themselves in this complex area
of study.
Jochen Gartz
Figure 6 - Bronze doors with mushroom motif entitled "Trial and
Judgment" at Hildesheim Cathedral, Germany (ca. 1020).
CHAPTER 2
REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY
AND SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS
It is remarkable that cultures native to the
American continent knew about a relatively large
number of natural mind-altering substances
compared to early cultures that evolved in Europe
or Asia. Botanical evidence does not support the
notion that Europe is home to fewer hallucinogenic
plants than other regions. Furthermore, the
growing number of recently discovered European
mushroom species containing psilocybin indicate a
flourishing psychotropic mycoflora in Europe
similar to those found in other countries.
It is unlikely that early European cultures
learned less about local plants and mushrooms
through usage and experience than cultures
elsewhere in the world. Most likely, early cultural
knowledge of European psychoactive plants and
mushrooms was lost or destroyed at some time in
history, probably as early as several hundred years
ago.
The discovery that the fly agaric
mushroom (Amanita muscaria) was known for its
psychoactive properties in Siberia invited the
conclusion that this mushroom was used as a
psychotropic agent in medieval Europe as well. In
fact, there is very little evidence from the Middle
Ages to indicate widespread knowledge of the
effects of specific mushrooms on human
consciousness. However, I believe that past reports
on psychoactive mushrooms were causally linked
to Amanita muscaria simply because this was the
only known psychotropic mushroom in Europe at
that time.
While the usage of Amanita muscaria
among Siberian tribes has generated reports of
spectacular hallucinations, European accounts of
fly agaric intoxications do not generally include
descriptions of such intensely hallucinatory
effects.
Accordingly, the potent hallucinogenic
effects of specific Psilocybes and related species
are likely to have had a much more significant
influence on early European cultures than the
delirium-like visions induced by Amanita
muscaria, a species that is also known to induce
unconsciousness and severe somatic side effects.
This hypothesis is corroborated by data from
comprehensive field studies conducted in Mexico.
I believe that historic accounts including those
described below - indicate a knowledge of |