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Psilocybe cubensis grows naturally in tropical and subtropical conditions, often near cattle due to the ideal conditions they provide for the growth of the fungus. The cow usually consumes grains or grass covered with the spores of Psilocybe cubensis and the fungus will begin to germinate within the dung.
Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms in Coyopolan, Veracruz, Mexico.McKenna and his proponents place these psilocybin mushrooms as the central force in the theory. The stoned ape theory is a controversial hypothesis first proposed by American ethnobotanist and mystic Terence McKenna in his 1992 book Food of the Gods.
Fungi that produce psilocybin and psilocin express incredible diversity, as they are a part of at least eight genera with hundreds of species belonging to them. [3] The specific reaction pathway for L-tryptophan decarboxylase has been described in twelve species, including Psilocybe cubensis, commonly known as magic mushrooms. [2]
P. cubensis is the most common Psilocybe in tropical areas. P. semilanceata, considered the world's most widely distributed psilocybin mushroom, [23] is found in temperate parts of Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand, although it is absent from Mexico. [21]
There are over 100 psychoactive mushroom species of genus Psilocybe native to regions all around the world. [47] Psilocybin, a naturally occurring chemical in certain psychedelic mushrooms such as Psilocybe cubensis, is being studied for its ability to help people suffering from psychological disorders, such as obsessive–compulsive disorder.
In 2007, a paper by Redhead et al. proposed conserving the genus Psilocybe with Psilocybe semilanceata as its type species. [5] The suggestion was accepted by unanimous vote of the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi of the International Botanical Congress in 2010, meaning that P. semilanceata (a member of the bluing clade) now serves as the type species of the genus. [6]
Psilocybin comprises approximately 1% of the weight of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, and so nearly 1.7 kilograms (3.7 lb) of dried mushrooms, or 17 kilograms (37 lb) of fresh mushrooms, would be required for a 60-kilogram (130 lb) person to reach the 280 mg/kg LD 50 value of rats. [46]
Psilocybe cubensis liniformans var. americana is found scattered to gregarious in rich pastures or grasslands, fruiting from summer to early winter. It has been collected in Washington, Oregon, and Michigan, and has also been reported from Chile where it fruits in the spring.