Gymnopilus viridans explained

Gymnopilus viridans is a mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. It contains the hallucinogens psilocybin and psilocin. It is a rarely documented species, the last known collection being from the US state of Washington in 1912.

Description

• Pileus

— 8 cm, thick, convex with a large umbo, ochraceous, dry, with conspicuous light reddish brown scales that are sparse but become denser toward the center; flesh firm, becoming green-spotted where handled.

• Gills: Adnate, broad, crowded, edges undulate, dingy brown to rusty brown with age.
• Spore print: Rusty brown.
• Stipe

— 6 cm in height, 2 cm in diameter, enlarging below, solid, firm, concolorous with the cap.

• Microscopic features: Spores 7 x 8.5 x 4 — 5 μm ellipsoid, not dextrinoid, minutely verruculose, obliquely pointed at one end, no germ pore. Pleurocystidia absent, Cheilocystidia 20 — 26 x 5 — 7 μm, caulocystidia 35 — 43 x 4 — 7 μm, clamp connections present.

Habitat and formation

Gymnopilus viridans is found growing cespitose on coniferous wood from June to November.

References

• Murrill . William . William Murrill . Mycologia . 4 . 257. 1912 . 10.2307/3753448. Gymnopilus viridans . 3753448 . ("For the benefit of those using Saccardo's nomenclature, the following new species in the above article are recombined, as follows: Gymnopilus viridans = Flammula viridans" p. 262)
• Hesler, Mycologia Memoir No. 3 1969, North American Species of Gymnopilus