Morphological and chemical analysis of magic mushrooms in Japan.
Forensic science international December 17, 2003 Kenji Tsujikawa, Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Yuko Iwata et al. 79 citations
Hallucinogenic mushrooms circulating in Japan were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography. Psilocybe cubensis contained psilocin (0.14–0.42%) and psilocybin (0.37–1.30%) in the whole mushroom, with higher concentrations in the cap than the stem. Copelandia species contained psilocin (0.43–0.76%) and psilocybin (0.08–0.22%) in the whole mushroom, again with more alkaloid in the cap. Psilocybe cubensis is psilocybin-rich, while Copelandia is psilocin-rich. The combination of SEM and optical microscopy was effective for observing characteristic fungal tissues such as basidiomycetes, spores, cystidia, and basidia.