Psilocybin-containingHymenogastraceaeNorth AmericaEurope
Psilocybe silvatica
Woodland conifer psilocybe
Northern conifer-forest species very close to P. pelliculosa, fruiting on rotting woody debris.
Regional status: Native to northern conifer forests
- Cap
- Conical to bell-shaped, 8–25 mm, tawny brown, hygrophanous with a separable gelatinous pellicle.
- Gills
- Adnate, pale then dark purple-brown.
- Stem
- 30–80 mm, slender, pale brown, blueing slightly at the base.
- Flesh
- Thin, blueing weakly.
- Spore print
- Dark purple-brown
- Habitat
- Rotting conifer debris, wood chips and mossy forest floor.
- Distribution
- Northern United States, Canada and northern Europe.
- Season
- September – December
- Bruising
- Weak blue at the stem base.
- Odour
- Farinaceous
- Potency
- Moderate
Key features
- ▪Separable gelatinous cap skin
- ▪Conifer debris habitat
- ▪Slender stem, weak blueing
Field tests
- Purple-brown spore print
- Peel the cap cuticle to confirm the pellicle
Edibility
Psilocybin-containing; not a food species.
Warning
Galerina species share this habitat exactly and contain amatoxins.
Photo and feature-based identification is probabilistic. Never consume a wild mushroom on the basis of an app result — confirm with an experienced mycologist.