cyanescens (Wavy Cap) — Species | WeMush Taxonomy

cyanescens

Wavy Cap

Psilocybe cyanescens, commonly known as the Wavy Cap, is a potent saprotrophic mushroom belonging to the family Hymenogastraceae. It is renowned for its distinctive hygrophanous cap, which matures from a convex, caramel-brown form into a broadly plane shape with a deeply undulating, wavy margin. The cap surface is viscid when moist and fades to a pale buff or yellowish-ochre upon drying. A defining characteristic is its intense bluing reaction; nearly all parts of the fruit body, particularly the stem and cap margin, stain dark blue to blue-green when bruised or handled, indicating high concentrations of psilocin.

Edibility: Medicinal only. Not considered a culinary mushroom due to its bitter taste and potent psychoactive effects. It contains high levels of psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. Consumption induces powerful hallucinations and altered states of consciousness. Safety: CRITICAL WARNING: This species is associated with 'Wood Lover's Paralysis' (WLP), a temporary but frightening condition causing muscle weakness or loss of motor function. It creates a high risk of misidentification with the deadly Galerina marginata, which shares the same wood-chip habitat but has rusty-brown spores and an annulus.

Habitat: Saprotrophic on lignin-rich woody debris. It thrives in disturbed habitats, particularly in urban and suburban landscaping, parks, and garden beds mulched with wood chips. It is rarely found in natural forest settings unless along trails or edges with woody debris.. Substrates: Deciduous wood chips (Alder, Maple, Beech), Lignin-rich mulch, Woody garden debris, Sawdust. Conditions: Requires a temperature drop to 10-18°C (50-64°F) to trigger fruiting. Thrives in high humidity environments with diffuse light.. Season: Late Autumn to Winter. Typically fruits from October to February in the Pacific Northwest and Europe, dependent on the onset of cold rains.

Difficulty: INTERMEDIATE

Growth: moderate

Contam Risk: low

Cultivation Suitability

Preferred Substrates

Hardwood chips (Alder, Beech)

Sawdust

Cardboard (for spawn expansion)

Distribution

Native: Pacific Northwest (USA/Canada), Central Europe (debated origin). Introduced: United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, West Asia (Iran). Rapidly expanding worldwide, largely driven by the commercial distribution of wood chip mulch which transports the mycelium to new urban environments.

Known Strains (0)

No strains cataloged yet for this species.

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