26 October 2021. Medstead, East Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Synonymns Psilocybe inquilinus Smell Indistinct Taste Indistinct Season All year Distribution Infrequent Habitat Usually on dead grass leaves, but also on other dead plant material Spore Print Brown Microscopic Features Spores mitriform (like a bishop's hat), smooth, thick walled, germ pore prominant (7-10) x (4-4.5) µm2. Basidia club shaped, 4 spored. Gill edge cystidia flask shaped (lageniform), often very slender. Gill face cystidia absent Edibility Inedible Notes Contains psilocybin. In the UK this fungus is considered to be a class A drug and hence possession is a criminal offence. 
Spores in Melzer's solution viewed with a x100 immersion objective. 26 October 2021. Medstead, East Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Basidia in Congo Red solution viewed with a x40 objective. 26 October 2021. Medstead, East Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Gill edge cystidia in Congo Red solution viewed with a x40 objective. 26 October 2021. Medstead, East Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |