Leslie Massey
Magic mushrooms, or shrooms, are fungi that contain the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin. There are at least 30 types of psilocybin mushrooms in Australia, and they are often eaten fresh, cooked, or brewed into a tea. However, it is important to note that their cultivation, possession, and ingestion are strictly prohibited. Additionally, magic mushrooms closely resemble poisonous mushrooms that can cause severe illness or even death. Therefore, it is crucial to be cautious and informed when searching for and consuming magic mushrooms in Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common names | Golden tops, blue meanies, liberty caps, shrooms, mushies |
| Scientific name | Psilocybe subaeruginosa |
| Cap diameter | 12-50mm |
| Cap shape | Conical to conic-convex with slightly inrolled edges when young, becomes convex, often slightly upturned, sub-gibbous, or sometimes with a small acute umbo |
| Cap texture | Slightly tacky |
| Appearance | Brown caps, blueing reaction when the fruitbodies are damaged or handled |
| Habitat | Grow in dung or in leaf litter on damp forest floors, public parks |
| Effects | Hallucinogenic, similar to LSD |
| Legality | Cultivation, possession, and ingestion are strictly prohibited |
| Risks | Mistakenly picking the wrong species can cause liver or kidney failure, or death |
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What You'll Learn
- Where to find them: pine mulch, dung, leaf litter on damp forest floors?
- How to identify them: look for golden tops, blue meanies, liberty caps?
- Toxic mushrooms to avoid: yellow stainers, green-spored parasols, death caps
- Effects: reduced brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, altered perception
- Legality: cultivation, possession, and ingestion are prohibited
Where to find them: pine mulch, dung, leaf litter on damp forest floors
In Australia, magic mushrooms can be found in pine mulch, dung, leaf litter on damp forest floors, and public parks.
Pine mulch scattered by the council can be a good place to start looking. It provides carbon to feed the mycelium, which then blooms into mushrooms. This is why magic mushrooms can often be found in public parks.
Magic mushrooms can be found in the southern parts of Australia, from Queensland to Tasmania. They are common in the southern parts of Australia from April to August.
When looking for magic mushrooms, keep your eyes peeled for their distinctive characteristics. The Psilocybe subaeruginosa species, for example, is characterised by its yellow-brown to orange-brown cap, which fades to a paler colour towards the margin. The cap stains greenish-blue with age or handling, and the flesh inside is whitish.
It is important to remember that consuming the wrong species of mushroom can be dangerous. Poisonous mushrooms can cause liver or kidney failure, and several people are hospitalised each year after accidentally consuming toxic mushrooms. Make sure you can correctly identify magic mushrooms before consuming them.
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How to identify them: look for golden tops, blue meanies, liberty caps
Golden tops, also known as gold caps, are one of the most common magic mushrooms in Australia. They have a caramel-coloured cap with a thick white stem and creamy brown gills. The caps are velvety soft, smooth, and damp, and can vary in shape—sometimes wavy, flat, or even symmetrical. Their stems are thick and feel solid to touch and can even be curvy. When handled, the stems turn blue. When immature, the caps are button-like and small, but they grow bigger and leave their spores in the ground to grow again when it rains.
Blue meanies are another variety of magic mushrooms found in Australia. They have dome-shaped grayish-brown caps and thin stems, which turn light blue when squished.
Liberty caps, or Psilocybe semilanceata, are a common variety of magic mushrooms in Europe. The cap is hygrophanous, meaning it assumes different colours depending on its state of hydration. When moist, the cap is pale brown to dark chestnut brown, darker in the centre, often with a greenish-blue tinge. When the cap dries, it becomes much paler, turning to a light yellow-brown colour. The cap is between 5 and 25 mm in diameter and 6 to 22 mm tall. It varies in shape from sharply conical to bell-shaped, often with a prominent papilla.
It is important to note that there is a risk of misidentification with toxic species when attempting to find and consume wild magic mushrooms. Poisonous Psathyrella species can easily be mistaken for liberty caps, for example.
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Toxic mushrooms to avoid: yellow stainers, green-spored parasols, death caps
Magic mushrooms are fungi that produce psilocybin, a psychoactive compound with effects similar to LSD. While they are often eaten fresh, cooked, or brewed into a tea, it's important to be careful as they closely resemble poisonous mushrooms that can cause serious illness or even death. Here are some toxic mushrooms found in Australia that you should avoid:
Yellow Stainers
Yellow-staining mushrooms, scientifically known as Agaricus xanthodermus, are the most common cause of poisoning from wild fungi in Australia. They resemble field mushrooms and cultivated mushrooms but can be distinguished by the square profile of their caps when young, their strong unpleasant hospital disinfectant-like odour, and the yellow stain they leave when their caps or stems are bruised. Old specimens may have brown caps, but the flesh in the stem base can still be identified by cutting it and checking for the characteristic yellow bruise.
Green-spored Parasols
Chlorophyllum brunneum, commonly known as Shaggy Parasol, is a toxic mushroom that can be found in Australia. It is one of the fungi responsible for poisonings in the country. While it has green spores, its cap does not exhibit any green colour.
Death Caps
Amanita phalloides, commonly known as Death Caps, are deadly poisonous mushrooms that have led to several fatalities in Melbourne and Canberra. They are considered the most poisonous of all known mushrooms, with as little as half a mushroom containing enough toxin to kill an adult human. Death Caps are responsible for 90% of mushroom-related deaths worldwide. Their toxic effects are not reduced by cooking, as the toxins are thermostable and resist changes due to heat. The principal toxic constituent, α-Amanitin, causes liver and kidney failure. These mushrooms typically have greenish caps with white gills, but the cap colour can vary, including white forms, so it is not a reliable identifier. They resemble several edible mushroom species, increasing the risk of accidental poisoning.
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Effects: reduced brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, altered perception
Magic mushrooms, or psilocybin, are a naturally occurring psychedelic found in certain types of mushrooms. They are a popular recreational drug, but they also have therapeutic properties and are being studied as a potential treatment for depression and anxiety in palliative care patients.
Psilocybin works by binding to and activating serotonin receptors in the brain, specifically in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. These parts of the brain influence mood, cognition, and perception. Psilocybin can cause a range of effects, including euphoria, hallucinations, and sensory distortion. It can also alter perception, leading to an altered sense of space and time and vivid memories.
Brain imaging studies have shown that psilocybin decreases brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). The mPFC is known to be hyperactive in people with depression, so the reduction in activity in this area could contribute to the antidepressant effects of psilocybin. The PCC is believed to play a role in consciousness and self-identity.
The effects of magic mushrooms usually begin within 30 minutes when consumed and can last approximately four to six hours. It's important to note that magic mushrooms can affect everyone differently, and there is a risk of experiencing negative side effects such as anxiety, panic, and disturbing hallucinations.
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Legality: cultivation, possession, and ingestion are prohibited
Magic mushrooms are fungi that contain psilocybin, a psychoactive compound with effects similar to LSD. While there is global interest in the therapeutic properties of magic mushrooms, and clinical trials are underway at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia has strict laws prohibiting the cultivation, possession, and ingestion of these mushrooms.
Australia has laws in place that provide penalties for possessing, using, or selling magic mushrooms. The penalties for violating these laws can be severe, as demonstrated by the case of a Brazilian chef who, in 2013, received a 15-month suspended sentence for possessing a large quantity of magic mushrooms. The police often issue warnings during the harvest season, targeting known areas.
The dangers of ingesting magic mushrooms go beyond legal consequences. Magic mushrooms can resemble poisonous mushrooms, which can cause liver or kidney failure and even death. The risk of mistakenly picking the wrong type of mushroom is high, and even experienced foragers can make this mistake. It is important to seek medical advice immediately if you suspect you have ingested a toxic mushroom.
While magic mushrooms are illegal in Australia, there is ongoing research into their therapeutic potential. Dr Alistair McTaggart is curating Australia's first legal culture collection, capturing the biodiversity of magic mushrooms native to the country. This research aims to safeguard the genetic diversity of magic mushrooms and explore their clinical applications.
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Frequently asked questions
The most common types of magic mushrooms in Australia are called golden tops, blue meanies and liberty caps. They can look similar to poisonous mushrooms, which can cause severe sickness and even death.
Magic mushrooms grow in abundance from the tip of Queensland to the southernmost forests of Tasmania. They grow in dung or in leaf litter on damp forest floors.
Magic mushrooms contain the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin, which reduces brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, believed to contain our sense of "self". This can cause a decrease in brain activity for up to six hours.
No, their cultivation, possession, and ingestion is strictly prohibited. However, clinical trials are currently underway at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, where terminally ill patients are being treated with psilocybin to ease anxiety.
Mushroom identification apps and books are not always accurate in Australia. If you think you've eaten a toxic wild mushroom, contact a poisons information centre as soon as possible. The safest way of obtaining mushrooms is from a reputable supermarket, grocer, or market.
