| Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
Scientific classification | |||
| Kingdom: | Fungi | ||
| Division: | Basidiomycota | ||
| Class: | Agaricomycetes | ||
| Order: | Agaricales | ||
| Family: | Hymenogastraceae | ||
| Genus: | Psilocybe | ||
| Species: | P. ovoideocystidiata | ||
| Binomial name | |||
| Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata | |||
 | |||
Range ofPsilocybe ovoideocystidiata in the contiguous U.S.
| |||
| Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata | |
|---|---|
| Mycological characteristics | |
 | Gills onhymenium |
  | Cap is convex or umbonate |
 | Hymenium is adnate |
 | Stipe has aring |
 | Spore print is blackish-brown to purple |
 | Ecology issaprotrophic |
 | Edibility ispsychoactive |
Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata, commonly known asovoid,psychedelic ovoid mushroom, orriver teacher is apsilocybin mushroom native toNorth America.[1] It is closely related toP. subaeruginascens fromJava,P. septentrionalis fromJapan, andP. wayanadensis fromIndia. This mushroom was first documented byRichard V. Gaines inMontgomery County, Pennsylvania in June 2003.[2]
Thespecific epithet refers to the abundant ovoidpleurocystidia andcheilocystidia of this species.[2]
AlthoughP. ovoideocystidiata is sometimes confused withPsilocybe caerulipes, it can be distinguished by itsrhomboid spores, larger stature, earlier fruiting season, and membranousannulus. The recently describedPsilocybe caeruleorhiza differs fromP. ovoideocystidiata in lacking an annulus and fruiting in the late Fall and early Winter, rather than in the Spring and early Summer.[3] Both of thesePsilocybe species are known only from eastern North America. Other similarPsilocybe species could be confused withP. ovoideocystidiata in its western North American range.[clarification needed] It can also be mistaken for species belonging to other brown-sporedagaric genera such asAgrocybe, but these will lack the blue bruising reaction characteristic of psilocybin mushrooms.
Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata is mainly native to theEastern United States, where its range stretches fromMissouri east toRhode Island and fromGeorgia north toMichigan. It is particularly common in theOhio River valley. It also occurs inWestern North America fromSouthern California north toBritish Columbia, Canada.[1] As a relatively recently identified species,P. ovoideocystidiata is frequently reported to appear in new areas, leading some[who?] to speculate that its range is currently undergoing expansion.[citation needed]
This species grows on woody debris and can be found along rivers and streams, usually in overflow areas, and in man-mademulch andwood chips in urban and suburban environments.[4] It is sometimes found alongsideJapanese knotweed and also tends to prefer shady areas and avoid direct sunlight.[citation needed] It is typically gregarious, growing in groups of several hundred individuals in one particular area, as well as in multiple small clusters of several mushrooms each, within close proximity of one another. Solitary specimens also occur on occasion.
Seasonality varies a great deal depending on what region they are found in, but in the northeastern US, they are most common in the spring, from mid-April to late-June (peaking late-May), especially after periods of steady heavy rain for several consecutive days (a common weather pattern in the eastern US during spring). However, they may occasionally fruit, as late as November. These mushrooms seem to be very sensitive to the season and fruit chiefly in the spring; very little fruiting occurs during other times of the year, even during favorable weather conditions.[1]
