Phylogenetic and chemical studies in the potential psychotropic species complex of Psilocybe atrobrunnea with taxonomic and nomenclatural notes
Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi November 26, 2014 Jan Borovička, Miroslav Obornı́k, J Strĭbrný et al. 30 citations
Five Psilocybe mushroom species with unclear evolutionary relationships were studied using four genetic markers. Most belong to Psilocybe section Psilocybe, but one species, P. laetissima, was reclassified into the genus Leratiomyces. For the first time, the psychedelic compounds psilocin and psilocybin were detected in P. medullosa using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. However, neither compound was found in P. atrobrunnea, even when its mycelia were grown on tryptamine- or tryptophan-enriched media, strongly suggesting that this species has lost the ability to produce these alkaloids. American and European collections of P. atrobrunnea were genetically nearly identical, but the name P. atrobrunnea is considered dubious, so the older name P. fuscofulva was adopted. American P. silvatica and European P. medullosa likely represent separate species.