Panaeolus cinctulus
Panaeolus cinctulus, syn. P. subbalteatus, commonly known as the belted panaeolus, banded mottlegill, or, is a very common, widely distributed psilocybin mushroom.
Etymology
The descriptor subbalteatus comes from the Latin words sub and balteat, a reference to the dark outer band of the cap.Description
The cap is wide, hemispherical to convex when young to broadly umbonate or plane in age, smooth, hygrophanous, striking cinnamon-brown when moist, soot-black when wet which disappears as the mushroom completely dries out. The outer band is usually darker. The flesh is thin and brownish.The gills are close, adnate to adnexed, cream-colored when young, later mottled dingy brown then to soot-black. The gill edges are white and slightly fringed, but turn blackish when fully mature. The spore print is black.
The stipe is 4–10 cm long, 1–10 mm thick, equal or tapered at the ends, reddish brown or covered by whitish powder, hollow, no veil remnants, longitudinally white-fibrillose, striate at the apex or twisting vertically down the entire length of the stipe. The stem base and mycelium occasionally stain blue.
The taste is farinaceous when fresh, saliferous when dried. The odor is slightly farinaceous.
Microscopic features
The spores are 11–16 x 7.5–10 x 6–9 μm, smooth, elliptical to rhomboid in face view, thick-walled, elliptical in side view.Similar species
Morphologically, P. cinctulus can be easily confused with other species of psilocybin mushrooms. They have a resemblance to P. fimicola and prefer the same habitats, but the latter species has sulphidia on the gill faces.It can also resemble P. foenisecii and P. olivaceus.
Habitat and formation
Panaeolus cinctulus is a cosmopolitan species that grows solitary to gregarious to cespitose on compost piles, well-fertilized lawns and gardens, and, rarely, directly on horse dung. It grows from spring to fall, abundantly after rain. It can be found in many regions, including: Africa, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guadeloupe, Estonia, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, New Guinea, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Romania,Slovenia, South America and the United States.
According to American mycologist David Arora, P. cinctulus is the most common psilocybin mushroom in California.
It has also been sighted in Melbourne, Australia, Central Queensland, Australia Belgium and the Czech Republic.