Deconica coprophila

Deconica coprophila, commonly known as the dung-loving deconia, meadow muffin mushroom, dung-loving psilocybe, or dung demon, is a species of mushroom in the family Strophariaceae.

Taxonomy

First described as Agaricus coprophilus by Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard in 1793, it was transferred to the genus Psilocybe by Paul Kummer in 1871.
In the first decade of the 2000s, several molecular studies showed that the Psilocybe was polyphyletic and the non-bluing species were transferred to Deconica.

Description

The hemispherical cap is up to wide, red then orangish, usually with a hygrophanous central blotch. The gills are adnate, pale then purplish with white edges.
The stem is up to long and thick and darker near the base. The spore print is purplish-brown.

Similar species

It resembles D. merdaria, Agrocybe pediades, Panaeolus cinctulus, and members of Protostropharia.

Habitat and distribution

The species grows on cattle dung in much of North America.

Potential uses

While non-toxic, the species is not a good edible mushroom. It only contains a small amount of psilocybin and is thus not a significantly psychoactive mushroom.