Content
Psilocybe semilanceata (Psilocybe semilanceata) belongs to the Hymenogastric family and the genus Psilocybe. Its other names:
- mushroom umbrella or cap of freedom, merry;
- acute conical bald spot;
- psilocybe papillary;
- agaricus semi-lanceolate, from 1818;
- paneolus semi-lanceolate, since 1936
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate resembles a bell on a thin stem
What mushrooms look like
Describing the appearance of the jellyfish mushroom, mycologists note its ability to change the color of the cap depending on weather conditions and habitat. In the dry season, the tops of the fruit bodies look like bright golden-copper decorations.
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate is distinguished by a sharp tubercle in the center of the cap
Description of the hat
The semi-lanceolate psilocybe has a characteristic bell-shaped cap with a nipple-nipple at the top. The edges are smooth, straight, may be slightly tucked inward. As it grows up, the cap straightens, becoming umbrella-shaped or straight. The diameter ranges from 0.5 to 2.5 cm, while the height is almost 2 times the width. Through the thin skin, the radial scars of the hymenophore plates are clearly visible.
The surface is smooth, slightly velvety, slimy in damp weather, when dry, the skin on the edges becomes wrinkled. In young specimens, it is easily separated from the pulp. The color is uneven, along the edges there is often a dark stripe of irregular shape. Color from golden to brownish brown, pale straw, dark chocolate. There are specimens with an olive or bluish surface.
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate (as in the photo) has rare, not adherent, large plates. Grayish, yellow-brown or brown in color, in mature specimens they acquire violet-blue and black shades, the edge is white-gray. The flesh is thin, fragile, dirty yellowish or white in color. At the break, it has a distinct musty smell of rotted hay. The taste is neutral, unexpressed.
Distinctive bell-shaped hat
Leg description
The semi-lanceolate psilocybe has a thin, straight or slightly curved stem with an internal cavity. The surface is smooth, dry, covered with sparse white scales, especially noticeable in the root part. The color ranges from white-gray to brown-brown and almost black. The pulp is highly fibrous, elastic.The length can be up to 12 cm, exceeding the size of the cap by five times.
The legs of these fruiting bodies are fibrous, strong to break and break.
Where does the semi-lanceolate psilocybe grow in Russia
The fungus is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Psilocybe semi-lanceolate grows even in the forest-tundra, feeling excellent in the permafrost zone. In temperate latitudes, it bears abundant fruit from August to January. Also, semi-lanceolate psilocybe is often found in the Vladimir region, in Siberia, in the Far East. In the central regions of Russia, the Leningrad Region and the Perm Territory.
Sometimes found singly, but often grows in families
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate grows in the suburbs of Moscow on meadows mown by autumn, floodplain lowlands, overgrown swamps.
How Veselushka Mushrooms Grow
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate loves grassy meadows, pastures, spacious forest glades, old parks and clearings. Prefers wet places: the banks of reservoirs, artificially irrigated fields and lawns, old swamps. Undemanding to the composition and fertility of the soil, does not like overly humidified places.
The semi-lanceolate psilocybe bears fruit most actively from October to December. For development and growth, she needs a temperature of 8-10 degrees Celsius and rainy, humid weather. It forms a stable symbiosis with cereal grasses, therefore it does not occur in the forest.
Who can be confused with semi-lanceolate psilocybe
The semi-lanceolate psilocybe differs from the twins in the original structure of the leg. If you roll it in your fingers, it becomes threadlike, slightly rubbery, does not break or crumble.
Konocybe is tender. Inedible. It is distinguished by the brown-chocolate color of the hymenophore plates, the leg has clearly palpable longitudinal scars.
Its cap is rounded-conical, without pronounced tubercles.
Blue Paneolus. Inedible. Its cap is creamy-sandy or beige, brightens with age, the plates are dark purple, almost black.
Distinct bluish spots appear on the cap
Paneolus is rimmed. Inedible. Can be recognized by a white concentric stripe. Has an umbrella-shaped, brownish-brown cap color. The plates are dark, chocolate-ocher.
Its leg is whitish-beige, with a slight bluish tinge, often covered with white or dark scales.
Sulfuric head. Inedible. Psilocybe semi-lanceolate at a young age is very similar to him. You can distinguish it by a more spherical cap, without a pronounced bump in the center.
Overgrown specimens have sandy brown flat or curving cup-shaped caps.
The effect of the semi-lanceolate psilocybe on the body
Consciousness-altering fruiting bodies have been known to mankind since ancient times. Psilocybe semi-lanceolate contains the highest concentration of the psychoactive substance psilocin of all fruit bodies known to science.
The concentration of the hallucinogen can vary depending on the place of growth and weather conditions, therefore there is no exact data on the maximum permissible doses of this mushroom for humans. Much depends on health status, body weight and susceptibility.
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate: consequences of use
The psychoactive effect of psilocin contained in mushrooms is called "trip". The effect begins 15-50 minutes after ingestion and lasts for 2-8 hours. The initial sensations are unpleasant, then hallucinations begin.
- A person experiences chills, a burning sensation or pins and needles on the skin, nausea, dilated pupils and impaired vision.
- Further, consciousness darkens, auditory and visual hallucinations appear, the feeling of oneself in space is lost. These changes are far from always positive. There are frequent cases when taking a hallucinogen only intensified the depressive state, plunging into despondency.
- The aftereffect lasts up to a day.A person is relaxed, absolutely indifferent to external stimuli, which cannot but affect his studies, work and personal life.
Regular use of psilocin leads not only to mental disorders, but also to disturbances in the functioning of internal organs:
- the problems of the cardiovascular system are aggravated, the risk of myocardial infarction increases;
- the liver and kidneys work for wear and tear and can no longer cope with the removal of toxins from the body;
- nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord are destroyed.
In Western medical practices, treatment with psilocin contained in veselushki mushrooms is used in the following cases:
- with loss or weakening of memory, anxiety and depression;
- with attacks of paranoia, schizophrenia;
- regular painful migraines.
With prolonged heat treatment, the psilocin contained in the fruit bodies is destroyed, making them safe
Responsibility for collection and distribution
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate is prohibited for distribution on the territory of the Russian Federation and in a number of foreign countries. The ban provides for the following cases:
- collection in any territory, cultivation in artificial conditions;
- distribution in natural, dried, powder, boiled form;
- advertising and promotion of the use of products from this fruiting body;
- exchange, sale and donation of myceliums.
In the case of proven abuse, punishment in the form of a fine, correctional labor, and criminal liability follows.
Conclusion
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate contains in its composition a number of psychoactive substances: psilocin, psilocybin, beocystin, norbeocystin, prohibited for distribution and collection on the territory of Russia. It is found everywhere in the northern and temperate latitudes of the Russian Federation, in Ukraine, Belarus, America, Europe. Also found in India and Australia. He loves wet grassy areas, feels great in the winter season, retarding growth in frosts and continuing to develop at +10. The semi-lanceolate psilocybe is very similar to other hallucinogenic mushrooms found in the same regions, so inexperienced collectors often confuse them. In the West, psilocin, which contains the semi-lanceolate psilocybe, is officially recognized as a remedy for certain nervous system problems.
Psilocybe semi-lanceolate causes drug addiction. Sustained traction occurs after 5-6 receptions. Long-term use leads to negative changes in the psyche and a deterioration in the general condition of the body.
