Notes on Growing teonanactl

Where to find them (In general)

Your job as a picker and consumer of teonanacatl

Varieties and their descriptions by habitat

Deadly look-alikes: When in doubt, throw it out.

Dosage Notes:

Field-Notes form:

Additional References

Gif files -- pictures of various species

Introduction to Sources: Books and Internet

Note: The text below is a merging of information from eight books.

1) "Field Guide to the Psilocybin Mushroom" by C. Ghouled @ 1972
The entire text of the above is available on the internet at hyperreal.com with the filename, picking.guide. Other documents of interest are also there.

2) "A Key to the American Psilocybin Mushroom" by Leonard Enos @ 1972. A book with watercolor pictures of the fruits.

3) "Magickal Mushroom Handbook" by Richard Allen Miller @ 1976

4) "How to Identify and Grow Psilocybin Mushrooms" by Jule Stevens and Rich Gee, @ 1977 Mushroom Friends by a press called Sun Magic Press, Seattle WA.
A guide with great color pictures, that includes some Hawaiian species.

The above four books are small-press older books and may or may not be available.

The following four books are readily available and have the advantage of having a large variety of mushrooms that you can eat for food as well as descriptions of many toxic varieties that appear similar to Teonanacatl.

A marvelous side-effect of getting into hunting for teonanacatl is that you learn enough about mushrooms to start hunting for the table as well. In fact, it makes a great cover story for folks to have a basket full of big nice 'shrooms for the table. These books will help with that aspect as well.

5) "National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms" written by Gary Lincoff @1981 (A wonderful guide with great color pictures and easy to comprehend descriptions.)

6) "Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms" by Paul Stamets, Ten Speed Press, @1993, is an excellent book. It includes a section on cultivating of mushrooms of the "Caramel Capped Psilocybes" group, which includes p. cyanenscens.

6a) "The Mushroom Cultivator" by Paul Stamets & J.S. Chilton, Agarikon Press, @1983, is also an excellent book. It uses the "Caramel Capped Psilocybes" group as its main example. It has some less commercial ideas about growing mushrooms and tidbits that might make it easy to grow them.

7) "Mushrooms Demystified" by David Arora @ 1986 Ten Speed Press P.O. Box 7123 Berkeley, CA 94707 (big and detailed, including real dichotic keys.)

8) "All That the Rain Promises and More" also by David Arora @ 1991, Ten Speed Press P.O. Box 7123 Berkeley, CA 94707 (pocket sized with a sense of humor.)

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Other book of interest:
"Psilocybe Mushrooms & Their Allies" by Paul Stamets. Seattle : Homestead Book Co. ; Berkeley, Calif. : distributed nationally by And/Or Press, c1978.

"Poisonous and Hallucinogenic Mushrooms" by Richard and Karen Haard. Unfortunately, this book is also out of print. It was published by Homstead Press, Seattle WA, who have no idea where to get a copy.

"The Genus Psilocybe a World Monograph" by Gaston Guzman, 1983. -- A book that I have not seen which is likely to be highly technical as well as complete -- a scholarly monograph.

See also: Additional References

The above books and many others can be ordered through the Mushroom People whose catalog is online, and who can be reached at the addresses below.

Email: NATLAW@igc.apc.org
Albert Bates MUSHROOMPEOPLE 0002745871@mcimail.com

Int'l Voice/Fax: (int. code +) 615-964-2200
U.S. Fax: 1-800-MYCOFAX
Or write us at:
Mushroompeople
PO Box 220 / 560 Farm Rd.
Summertown TN 38483-0220

Fungi Perfecti
P.O. Box 1354
Olympia, WA 98507
(206)426-9292
stamets1@aol.com

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Additional References

FOOD OF THE GODS, Terrence McKenna, 1992, Bantam Books

"Keys to Genera of Higher Fungi" by R. Shaffer, 2nd ed. (1968) Published by the University of Michigan Biological Station at Ann Arbor.

FIELDBOOK OF COMMON MUSHROOMS, Thomas, W. Sturgis, New York, Putname, 1948.

THE MUSHROOM HUNTERS FIELD GUIDE, Smith, Alexander H., Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press.

MUSHROOMS IN THE GARDEN (c) 1984 by Hellmut Steineck, Eureka Printing Company ISBN 0-916422-50-x

MUSHROOM GROWING TODAY, Atkins, F.C., Macmillian and Co., 1967.

MUSHROOM GROWING FOR EVERYONE, Genders, Roy, London, Faber and Faber, 1969.

SEEKING THE MAGIC MUSHROOM AMONG MEXICAN INDIANS, Wasson, R.G., Life Magazine, May 13, 1957 (pages 100-109).

ROAD TO ENDSVILLE; Psilocybe Mexicana, Newsweek, February 9, 1959.

A KEY TO THE AMERICAN PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOM, Enos, Leonard. The Church of One Sermon, Lemon Grove, California. This book is out of print. It contained water-color drawings rather than color photographs.

A listing from books in print re:Teonanacatl

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Notes on Growing teonanactl:

There are several documents floating around the internet that fully describe growing p. cubensis.]

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Quoted from #1 above:

While growing your own may seem like a good thing, the fruits are so abundant in the proper season and habitat, that it is not really necessary. Note however that mushroom hunting for psychedelic varieties is considered a "bad thing" tm. and friendly foragers have been subject to all sorts of harassment

The most commonly cultivated variety is psilocybe cubensis, a subtropical or tropical dung loving species. It is the species also known as stropharia cubensis that Terrence McKenna writes about in his book "Food of the Gods." [Compiler's note: The emphasis on mushrooms from cow dung in that book leads one to wonder at the origin of the oft used phrase "bull shit" for statements deemed to be far from reality.]

"All it takes is one mushroom or a few spores and from this one can quickly develop a culture that will continue to produce as much psilocybin as one desires for years to come. Because the common San Ysidro mushroom, psilocybe cubensis ..Singer (Formerly stropharia cubensis ..Earl) is the most easily obtainable, the most readily cultivated, most disease resistant, and psychoactively strongest species we have geared our instructions to it's use.

There are, however, numerous other species which contain psilocybin. In case one of these is all that is available, we give for several of these pertinent information such a relative potency, where and when to find specimens, what growing conditions (medium, temperature, lighting, etc.) it favors and how resistant it is to contamination. The states, provinces, and regions named are by no means the only places where the species is to found. They are places in which there have been numerous reports of findings. They are given here to give a general idea of the type of terrain and climate the species favors. In cases where ideal cultivation temperatures and growing conditions are not given much can be surmised by considering the environment in which that species thrives.

Psilocybe cubensis can be found in many parts of the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, and even Southeastern Asia. It is usually found growing on or near cow dung in pastures during warm rainy periods from February to November. There are several species of mushroom which occur on cow dung, but fortunately none of these bear much resemblance to the San Ysidro.

There are numerous toxic mushrooms growing around us. Some of these could be mistaken for some of the other psilocybin fungi mentioned in this guide. It is essential that the mushroom hunter learn to use an identification key. A key is a listing of the various features which will positively identify a given species. If a specimen does not confirm in every respect to the key, it must not be used. There are several excellent keys to be found on most library shelves. One that we recommend is "Keys to Genera of Higher Fungi" by R. Shaffer, 2nd ed. (1968) Published by the University of Michigan Biological Station at Ann Arbor. [Compiler's note: see Arora, Mushrooms Demystified.] We also recommend a thorough reading of the most helpful book "Poisonous and Hallucinogenic Mushrooms" by Richard and Karen Haard, available for $3.95 from Nature Study Institute, PO Box 2321, Bellingham, Washington 98225. [Compiler's note: out of print, even the authors couldn't tell me where to find it, and Mushroom People don't have it even though they list it.] It is further suggested that after identifying the specimen it should be brought to an expert mycologist to be absolutely certain of it's identity. [Compiler's note: Although not a bad idea, this is a standard reference book disclaimer to cover the publisher's ass from careless but litigous mycophiles, just be careful.]

Many books on hallucinogenic mushrooms suggest a simple test for psilocybin species which involves breaking the flesh of the specimen and waiting about 30 minutes for a bluing reaction to take place. The bluing is due to the oxidization of indole based substances in the fungus. Although it is true that most of the psilocybin-bearing mushrooms will respond positively to this test, other species may do the same. The poisonous Eastwood Boletus blues upon exposure of the inner tissues to oxygen as well as does any psilocybin mushroom. Another test which is often given in mushroom manuals is treating the exposed tissues with Metol, a chemical used in photo developers. It hastens the bluing of psilocybin mushrooms, and supposedly one can do a bluing test with it in a few minutes that would otherwise take 30 minutes or more. Any mushroom, however, which contains indolic substances of any sort will respond positively to this test. Since indole-based amino acids such as tryptophan are found in most living organisms this test is rather useless.

When in doubt, throw it out.

There is actually no field test for psilocybin mushrooms. There is however, a relatively simple test for the presence of psilocin and psilocybin that can be carried out at home by anyone who has some familiarity with paper chromatography. The mushroom sample is dried, pulverized, and extracted into asmall amount of unheated methanol by shaking for half an hour. After the debris in the methanol has settled the paper is spotted with the top fluid in a zone about 2mm. After treating the spotting zone with water saturated butanol for about two hours, the solvent front 7-8 cm from the spotting zone would contain the psilocin and psilocybin if they were present in the specimen. After drying the paper with a hair dryer on warm, this outer zone is sprayed lightly with a saturated solution of p-dimethyl-aminobenzaldehyde in alcohol and then again with 1 N hydrochloric acid. The paper is then dried again as before. Where psilocybin is present a reddish color will develop. The presence of psilocin will be indicated by a blue-violet zone.

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Aiding the Archaic revival: Your job as steward

1. When you find the mushrooms, always make a sporeprint from as many fruits as possible. Both for identification and for future propagation.
2. Freely give the spore prints to interested souls.
3. Spread the spores yourself.
   1. Wipe the spore prints on downed sticks that will likely be chipped and used somewhere!
   2. Create suspensions of the spores, or a spore mass, and squirt it into likely habitats during wet weather.
   3. Fill your super-soaker with spore mass and have someone drive you around while you shoot it at all likely wood chip beds in your neighborhood.
4. Mine the mycelium of any large patches, and put pieces of it into likely habitats.
5. When picking a large patch, be sure to leave many to spread their spores naturally.
6. When picking from a sparse patch, surreptitiously bring more wood debris to the site so that the patch can flourish.
7. Be sure to have others who pick with you follow these stewardship guidelines.

Where to Find Teonanacatl

Best Locations for a Hunt

The first place to look for psilocybin mushrooms is in your own back yard. This is especially true if you live in the Pacific Northwet. Cultivated lawns laid as sod usually will have Psilocybe stuntzii and sometimes P. semilanceata. Old lawns that have had a layer of cow manure spread on them and then been reseeded will develop P. stuntzii, P. semitanceata, and P. baeocystis. Healthy green lawns that have been well fertilized will also support psilocybin mushrooms.

Chipped wood that has aged for two or more years [Compilers note: hardwood chips may be nearly fresh.] will support P. cyanescens if it is not redwood or cedar. Wood chips are used as a ground cover on driveways, under trees and shrubs, and on trails and walkways. Very large fruitings have been found in areas of Washington and Oregon. [Compilers note: Cedar and Redwood chips/beauty bark generally do not support this species, although I did find a small patch of p. stuntzii on cedar bark that was very old]

At times, sawdust or straw is spread over bare ground before a lawn is seeded. In warmer areas Panaeolus subbalteatus will fruit on the decomposing straw and in northern areas Psilocybe cyanescens will grow on the sawdust and appear in lawns.

Wood shavings or sawdust from a horse stable will provide a good medium for P. cyanescens once it has aged. We have found extremely large mushrooms in stable compost that has been in the garden only six months. Gardens and flowerbeds mulched with stable compost have been found to contain large mycelial mats growing under the vegetable and ornamental plants. The mycelium will grow very well under small shrubs that have branches that touch the ground forming an umbrella-like effect which keeps the ground under the plant moist and the drying effects of the sun at a minimum.

For those of you who live in apartments, do not hesitate to check your buildings' lawns and flowerbeds. Large fruitings have been reported to us by apartment dwellers.

Other areas to look for psilocybin mushrooms are in cow pastures where Psilocybe semilanceala has been widely found along with some P. pelliculosa, P. cyanescens, and P. baeocystis. In southern or semi- tropical/tropical climates, species of P. cubensis and P. caerulescens are almost exclusively found in cow pastures unless the dung is transported to other areas. Large fruitings of P. pelliculosa have been found along mountain logging roads and highways and recently P. cyanescens has been found in similar areas.

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Dosage Notes:

4 to 6 mushrooms. The active alkaloids are psilocybin and psilocin. Each dry gram of mushroom will contain about 2mg of the desired alkaloids. The stem will contain the same amount of the drug as the cap. The Indians of Mexico regularly eat 30 to 40 of the Ps. cubensis (or in Mexico, also the Ps. Mexicana), per ceremony. They extinguish all of the lights and have detailed and colorful visions until dawn. Increasing the dosage will act to intensify the experience rather than prolong it (see bibliography). No realistic figures on the concentration of the desired alkaloids can be stated as this factor varies considerably.

[Compiler's note: Potency varies from species to species and from patch to patch. Stamets estimates that 1% of the biomass is crystalline psilocybin or psilocin in the the cyanesens-like species.]

From reference #2:

The problem arising from the discovervy of just one or two specimens or returning to an already established site only to find nothing growing may have a possible solution. It seems that some Cultivators in the Pacific Northwest who use polyethylene sheeting to greenhouse their plants quickly find the resulting mushroom crop to be slightly overwhelming. Who knows? A little water and a few ounces of polyfilm might just extend the season to a bountiful half a year or longer, depending on where you live.

Recommendations concerning the number of Fruit needed to do the job cannot be made. Besides the obvious differences in individual requirements, it has been found that production of Initiator by the higher fungi is subject to considerable variation. Not only does it vary between species' but also within the particular strains of a species.

This variation, in the few American species that have been tested, can be anywhere from .05 -.6% of the dry weight with an average of around .2 -.3% (fresh mushrooms are 88- 90@/0 water).

Even though psilocybin/psilocin can be effective at 5 mg, the norm is considered to be 35 mg and the safe maximum 150 mg.

#3 above states of p. cyanescens that one dry gram yields 2 mg of psilocybin.
In general, proceed with caution by starting with small doses and progressing gradually to larger ones.