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Psilocybia / The Index / Species record

The Psilocybe Index / Species account

Psilocybe cubensis

(Earle) Singer

Taxonomy: acceptedChemistry: Limited quantitative evidenceMolecular data: Agent source-checked

Researched and source-checked by Codex. No human scientific review. This first account covers selected sources; section notes identify remaining research. Assay ranges describe studied specimens, not an expected species concentration.

01Overview

Agent source-checked

This account combines checked nomenclature, a published morphological key and one assay of cultivated material. A 2026 study distinguishes the African relative P. ochraceocentrata; older records require attention to species boundaries. [index-fungorum-290107-2026] [melo-2016] [bradshaw-2026-africa] [gotvaldova-2022]

This is a scientific reference record, not field-identification guidance.

02Nomenclature

Accepted name
Psilocybe cubensis
Authority
(Earle) Singer
Family
Agrocybaceae
Publication year
1948
Basionym
Stropharia cubensis Earle
Taxonomic status
accepted
MycoBank identifier
Not yet researched — verification required
Index Fungorum identifier
290107
Synonyms (4 recorded names)
  • Stropharia cubensis Earle
  • Naematoloma caerulescens Pat.
  • Hypholoma caerulescens (Pat.) Sacc. & Trotter
  • Psilocybe fasciata Hongo

Nomenclatural sources: [index-fungorum-290107-2026] [niskanen-2026] [species-fungorum-290107-2026]

Research completeness

taxonomy
Agent source-checked — Codex (agent), 2026-09-10

Core nomenclature and the selected family treatment are source-checked. MycoBank could not be accessed; original name publications and exhaustive synonymy remain pending. This is a scoped account, not a completed taxonomic revision.

overview
preliminary

Source-checked introduction to the scoped account.

description
preliminary

Selected published characters checked; comprehensive modern redescription remains pending.

ecology
preliminary

Only the cited source context has been checked; substrate and seasonal synthesis remain pending.

distribution
preliminary

Source-backed localities or taxonomic context only; no occurrence dataset or exhaustive range assessment.

chemistry
preliminary

One study, five compounds and its collection metadata source-checked. Additional studies, supplementary per-sample values and a full literature synthesis remain pending.

molecular
preliminary

Published molecular findings checked; no independent sequence analysis.

history
preliminary

Limited nomenclatural or typification history. Original publications and broader historical research remain pending.

conservation
not researched

Not researched in this account. No absence claim is made.

03Taxonomic description

Taxonomic description. These characters are presented for scientific reference and are not intended as field-identification guidance.

Macroscopic characters

Agent source-checked

The Brazilian published key places P. cubensis among taxa with a partial veil and fruit bodies that turn blue. These key characters are not a full specimen description. [melo-2016]

Microscopic characters

Agent source-checked

The same key characterizes P. cubensis with pleurocystidia and hexagonal basidiospores measuring 13–16 × 7–10 µm. This is a key-derived summary; further specimen-based comparison is pending. [melo-2016]

04Distribution and ecology

Agent source-checked

The 2026 paper notes the original Cuban description and distinguishes African material formerly identified as P. cubensis as P. ochraceocentrata. A reconciled global distribution has not been compiled for this account. [bradshaw-2026-africa]

Known range
Not yet researched
Habitats
Not yet researched
Substrates
Not yet researched
Ecological associations
Not yet researched
Seasonality
Not yet researched

Ecological context

Agent source-checked

The 2026 study’s abstract describes P. cubensis as specialized on domesticated cattle dung. The chemistry study extracted here instead sampled cultivated material; it does not establish wild habitat. [bradshaw-2026-africa] [gotvaldova-2022]

Occurrence records

Occurrence map — awaiting verified records

No occurrence points loaded.

Recorded observations are not equivalent to true biological range. Absence of records does not demonstrate absence of a species.

Occurrence provenance & future map methods
Source
Not yet supplied
Licence / retrieval date
Awaiting licence / Not retrieved
Coordinate uncertainty
Not reviewed
Sensitive records
unreviewed

Future ingestion will review licensing, coordinate uncertainty and sensitive locations. Sampling, clustering and date filters will operate on separately loaded datasets; no coordinates are embedded in this page.

05Chemistry

Measurements belong to studies, specimens and methods. A single concentration cannot stand in for a species.

Published assays · Measurements retain their original methodological context.
Study / yearMaterialMethodRecord
Extensive Collection of Psychotropic Mushrooms with Determination of Their Tryptamine Alkaloids / 2022Dried fruiting bodiesUHPLC–MS/MS (triple quadrupole; positive electrospray; dynamic multiple reaction monitoring)Details ↓
gotvaldova-2022-cubensis-table-1 — specimen, methods & measurements
Source location
Table 1, Psilocybe cubensis row; sections 3.2–3.4; Supplementary Table S1
Verification
Source checked; see evidence trail
Measurement basis
dry mass
Specimen
Whole fruiting bodies; collection IDs and available vouchers are listed below.
Material
Dried fruiting bodies
Sample size
9
Sample counting basis
9 fruiting bodies (fb), from 4 collections (n); Table 1 definitions.
Provenance
Cultivated collections; geographic origin not specified in Table S1.
Analytical method
UHPLC–MS/MS (triple quadrupole; positive electrospray; dynamic multiple reaction monitoring)
Preparation
Dried, homogenized fruiting bodies; acidified methanol extraction and re-extraction (section 3.3).
Storage
Dried material kept in darkness at 20 °C (section 3.2). Collection and analysis dates are retained below; exact storage durations are not inferred.
psilocybin
0.651–3.509 mg/g (range) — Reported aggregate range, dry mass.
psilocin
0.208–5.344 mg/g (range) — Reported aggregate range, dry mass.
baeocystin
0.139–0.881 mg/g (range) — Reported aggregate range, dry mass.
norbaeocystin
0.044–0.161 mg/g (range) — Reported aggregate range, dry mass.
aeruginascin
0.026–0.053 mg/g (range) — Reported aggregate range, dry mass.

Collections in the source

Dates retain the precision reported by the study. These collections underlie the aggregate ranges; individual concentrations have not been inferred.

L-09 · cultivation
Collected
March 2016
Analysed
May 2016
Voucher
Not reported
GenBank accession
Not provided in the source table

GenBank column is n.a. in Table S1.

L-12 · cultivation
Collected
April 2014
Analysed
May 2016
Voucher
PRM 952711
GenBank accession
Not provided in the source table

GenBank column is n.a. in Table S1.

H-20 · cultivation
Collected
27.01.2017
Analysed
April 2018
Voucher
Not reported
GenBank accession
Not provided in the source table

GenBank column is n.a. in Table S1.

H-21 · cultivation
Collected
24.02.2017
Analysed
April 2018
Voucher
Not reported
GenBank accession
Not provided in the source table

GenBank column is n.a. in Table S1.

Aggregate dry-mass ranges from one study. Supplementary collection metadata is transcribed; individual concentrations from the supplementary heatmap are not extracted. No species mean or unit conversion is supplied.

Read source record

Modern quantitative assays

Agent source-checked

Gotvaldová et al. (2022) used UHPLC–MS/MS to measure five tryptamine alkaloids in 9 fruiting bodies from 4 collections. [gotvaldova-2022]

Evidence assessment

Agent source-checked

One quantitative study is extracted here. The category describes this account’s coverage; a complete literature assessment is pending. [gotvaldova-2022]

Assessments depend on material, preparation, storage, sampling and analytical methods. Measurements are literature records, not predictions of effects.

How chemistry records are structured ↗

06Molecular evidence

Agent source-checked

Bradshaw et al. (2024) report the PsiD–PsiM–PsiH–PsiK biosynthetic gene order previously documented for P. cubensis within their Clade II comparison. Genomic evidence is distinct from chemical measurement of fruiting bodies. [bradshaw-2024]

07History

Agent source-checked

The checked name record traces the species to Stropharia cubensis Earle (1906) and Singer’s 1948 combination in Psilocybe. The original publications have not yet been inspected. [index-fungorum-290107-2026]

A place for the historical record

This account records the nomenclatural history checked so far. Broader historical research remains pending; interpretations must stay connected to their documentary sources.

Reading the scientific record ↗

08Conservation

Not yet researched

This section has not yet been researched for this account.

Assessment status
Not yet researched
Assessment authority / year
Not verified / Not verified

Not researched by Psilocybia, not assessed by a conservation authority, and Least Concern are different states. None should be inferred from another.

09Images & specimens

No verified, licensed scientific images supplied

Space is reserved for field photographs, herbarium specimens, microscopy and historical plates, with source and licence metadata.

Photographs are not presented as sufficient for mushroom identification.

10References

  1. Klára Gotvaldová; Jan Borovička; Kateřina Hájková; Petra Cihlářová; Alan Rockefeller; Martin Kuchař (2022). Extensive Collection of Psychotropic Mushrooms with Determination of Their Tryptamine Alkaloids. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23(22), 14068. DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214068 Source record ↗

    Source class: primary.

    Source verification history
    • metadata: verified · 2026-09-08 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Authors, title, year, volume, issue and article number match the article XML.

    • doi: verified · 2026-09-08 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      DOI in PubMed matches article-id in the primary article XML; this is an identity cross-check, not just syntax validation.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-08 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Read Table 1 and its footnote, and sections 3.1, 3.3 and 3.4 in the full-text XML. Supplementary Table S1 has not yet been extracted.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Rechecked Table 1, sections 3.2–3.4, and Supplementary Table S1 (13 collections in this batch). Corrected pilot locator: collection/storage is section 3.2, not 3.1. Original aggregate ranges verified against XML.

  2. T. Niskanen; B. Dentinger; A.M. Ainsworth; I. Kytövuori; J.T. Kim; G.W. Griffith; K. Liimatainen (2026). Re-shaping the family-level classification of Agaricineae (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) using a phylogenomic approach. Studies in Mycology 113(1), 115–134. DOI: 10.3114/sim.2026.113.03 Source record ↗

    Source class: primary.

    Source verification history
    • metadata: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Bibliographic identity inspected; publication year is distinct from retrieval date.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Family treatment Agrocybaceae, Table 1 and classification discussion inspected in the PDF. Effective online date in paper: 1 April 2026; Crossref issue date differs, so the record retains year only.

    • doi: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      DOI and title matched against the cited bibliographic record; not just resolver availability.

  3. Alexander J. Bradshaw; Virginia Ramírez-Cruz; Ali R. Awan; Giuliana Furci; Laura Guzmán-Dávalos; Bryn T. M. Dentinger (2024). Phylogenomics of the psychoactive mushroom genus Psilocybe and evolution of the psilocybin biosynthetic gene cluster. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121(3), e2311245121. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311245121 Source record ↗

    Source class: primary.

    Source verification history
    • metadata: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Bibliographic identity inspected; publication year is distinct from retrieval date.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Full-text gene-cluster results and phylogenomic methods inspected; not a new sequence analysis by Psilocybia.

    • doi: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      DOI and title matched against the cited bibliographic record; not just resolver availability.

  4. A.J. Bradshaw; C. Sharp; B. Van Der Merwe; K.S. Tremble; B.T.M. Dentinger (2026). Discovery of the closest free-living relative of the domesticated ‘magic mushroom’ Psilocybe cubensis in Africa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 293(2066), 20252270. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.2270 Source record ↗

    Source class: primary.

    Source verification history
    • metadata: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Bibliographic identity inspected; publication year is distinct from retrieval date.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      ABSTRACT ONLY: PubMed abstract and Europe PMC metadata inspected. Full text was inaccessible. No detailed morphology, divergence estimates or voucher reassignments extracted.

    • doi: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      DOI and title matched against the cited bibliographic record; not just resolver availability.

  5. R.F.R. Melo; R.S. Chikowski; A.N. Miller; L.C. Maia (2016). Coprophilous Agaricales (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota) from Brazil. Phytotaxa 266(1), 1–14. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.266.1.1 Source record ↗

    Source class: primary.

    Source verification history
    • metadata: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Authors, title, year, volume, issue and DOI agree between the PDF and Crossref. Page range is checked in the PDF; Crossref does not supply a page field.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Title page DOI and authors inspected. P. cubensis appears in the compiled key, pp. 3–4, not as one of the newly described collections. Morphological statements are limited to that key.

    • doi: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Authors, title, year, volume, issue and DOI agree between the PDF and Crossref. Page range is checked in the PDF; Crossref does not supply a page field.

  6. Index Fungorum (2026). Index Fungorum name record: Psilocybe cubensis. . Source record ↗

    Source class: taxonomic database.

    Source verification history
    • metadata: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Bibliographic identity inspected; publication year is distinct from retrieval date.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Named record and cited fields inspected directly.

  7. Species Fungorum (2026). Species Fungorum synonymy: Psilocybe cubensis. . Source record ↗

    Source class: taxonomic database.

    Source verification history
    • metadata: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Bibliographic identity inspected; publication year is distinct from retrieval date.

    • content: verified · 2026-09-10 · Codex (agent) (agent). Verification source

      Selected historical combinations retained; this is not an exhaustive synonymy reconciliation. Index Fungorum and Species Fungorum are linked services, not independent revisions.

Claim provenance

Source checks record what was inspected. Publication approval and section review are separate editorial decisions.

Nomenclature follows the checked Index Fungorum name record.

Fields: taxonomy.canonical_name, taxonomy.accepted_name, taxonomy.genus, taxonomy.specific_epithet, taxonomy.authority, taxonomy.publication_year, taxonomy.status, taxonomy.basionym, taxonomy.index_fungorum_id

This account follows the 2026 Agrocybaceae circumscription for Psilocybe.

Fields: taxonomy.family

Selected names listed in Species Fungorum; the list is not exhaustive.

Fields: taxonomy.synonyms

One quantitative study is extracted here. The category describes this account’s coverage; a complete literature assessment is pending.

Fields: chemistry.summary.text

Gotvaldová et al. (2022) used UHPLC–MS/MS to measure five tryptamine alkaloids in 9 fruiting bodies from 4 collections.

Fields: chemistry.modern_assay.text

The assay preserves the published ranges and supplementary collection context.

Fields: chemistry.assays.0, chemistry.evidence_status

This account combines checked nomenclature, a published morphological key and one assay of cultivated material. A 2026 study distinguishes the African relative P. ochraceocentrata; older records require attention to species boundaries.

Fields: overview.text

The Brazilian published key places P. cubensis among taxa with a partial veil and fruit bodies that turn blue. These key characters are not a full specimen description.

Fields: description.macroscopic.text

The same key characterizes P. cubensis with pleurocystidia and hexagonal basidiospores measuring 13–16 × 7–10 µm. This is a key-derived summary; further specimen-based comparison is pending.

Fields: description.microscopic.text

The 2026 study’s abstract describes P. cubensis as specialized on domesticated cattle dung. The chemistry study extracted here instead sampled cultivated material; it does not establish wild habitat.

Fields: ecology.narrative.text

The 2026 paper notes the original Cuban description and distinguishes African material formerly identified as P. cubensis as P. ochraceocentrata. A reconciled global distribution has not been compiled for this account.

Fields: distribution.narrative.text

Bradshaw et al. (2024) report the PsiD–PsiM–PsiH–PsiK biosynthetic gene order previously documented for P. cubensis within their Clade II comparison. Genomic evidence is distinct from chemical measurement of fruiting bodies.

Fields: molecular.text

The checked name record traces the species to Stropharia cubensis Earle (1906) and Singer’s 1948 combination in Psilocybe. The original publications have not yet been inspected.

Fields: history.text