Their beautifully plump, smooth-to-the-touch caps produce a tinge of burnt-orange that fades into a slightly paler, somewhat-girthy stem. Golden Teacher is amongst the most favored strains of psychedelic mushrooms. Now let’s explore the extensive genetic analogs, of these psychedelic mushrooms. Psilocybe cubensis can be differentiated from its derivative counterparts by their commensurately large stem size and widened caps. The result? Carefully curated hybrid species of mushrooms whose desired characteristics have been isolated to produce heightened hallucinogenic effects (up to 12x more potent) and better adaptation to unpredictable environmental conditions. cubensis has been the lucky subject of much selective breeding, yielding over 60 divergent strains like Wavy Caps and Penis Envy. Mostly odorless and with a ringed stipe, P. These trippy fungi often bruise blue due to oxidation, with narrow gray gills edged by an off-white color, typically containing 10-12 mg of psilocybin per gram of dried mushrooms. Local to the tropics of Gulf Coast states, “cubes” are amongst the most widely distributed species because of their easy-to-cultivate properties, naturally germinating in cattle dung and grown indoors with substrates like coffee or brown rice flour. These sacred fungi belong to the family of Hymenogastraceae and have appropriately gained the nickname “golden halos” for their almost-unmistakeable convexes or flat, yellow-brown caps and smooth, sticky surface. Psilocybe cubensis is probably the image that comes to mind when we think of psychedelic mushrooms. Strain identification helps us make better informed decisions on dosage–and a word of advice, you could never go wrong with some good old Golden Teachers. Knowing what strain you have could definitely be of value, though. You can have an incredible experience on any one of these strains, it’s really your intention and ability to surrender that sways the prognosis of your trip. However, we want to note that the strain of your psychedelic mushroom is ultimately of little importance. Today we’ll be diving head-first into the exquisitely unique properties of some of the most popular mushroom strains on the market, including their trademarked shapes, gill structures, and most importantly, trip-inducing effects. Whether you’ve stumbled across this page to ID a personal batch of these ancient fungi teachers or to choose a strain that most closely resonates with your psychedelic intentions, you’ve nevertheless come to the right place.

Though some may be more readily accessible than others, each of these species comes equipped with their own visually-cadent spirit of hallucinogenic ascent. You’ve heard about psilocybin mushrooms, maybe even through their well known pen name, ‘magic mushrooms’ or ‘shrooms’, but did you know that there’s over 180 psilocybin mushroom species that could occasion your consciousness-expanding journey through space and time?

Psychonauts 2 fungus