Scientists Found a Florida Mushroom That Makes Both Psilocybin and a Deadly Toxin
University of Florida researchers have found the first mushroom known to produce both psilocybin and amatoxins, the liver-destroying compounds in death cap mushrooms. The tiny Galerina indica, which they nicknamed the "dark magic mushroom," turned up on a rotting palm trunk in a central Florida wetland. Its flesh bruised blue, a common sign of psilocybin, which is what prompted the testing. The study, published Wednesday in Current Biology, also identified a new amatoxin and a second new Galerina species that makes only psilocybin. The researchers think the mushroom picked up its psilocybin genes from an unrelated fungus millions of years ago. "Do not eat this mushroom!" lead author Andrew Kunik told Gizmodo's Ed Cara. Science News' Tina Hesman Saey quoted mycologist Anne Pringle of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who wasn't involved, on the question people ask when they find a mushroom: "Can I eat it?" She said she's always uncomfortable with it, and "this paper confirms that, in fact, you should be uncomfortable." The lesson for foragers: blue bruising doesn't mean a mushroom is safe. Small brown Galerina mushrooms are hard to tell apart, and several are deadly.
If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom: call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222 in the U.S.) right away, even if they feel fine. Amatoxin symptoms often don't start for six hours or more, by which point liver damage may be under way. Feeling the effects of psilocybin doesn't rule out amatoxin. For the psychological side, see our guide to what a "bad trip" actually is.