Contents
Shitty stropharia (Kakashkina bald) is a rather rare species of mushrooms, the habitat of which is extremely limited. Other names for stropharia: Psilocybe coprophila, shitty fly agaric, shitty geophila. A distinctive feature of this mushroom is that its fruiting body contains a large amount of a hallucinogenic substance – psilocybin.
What does shitty Stropharia look like
Shitty stropharia is a small mushroom, its height rarely exceeds 7 cm. Most often, the fruiting body grows only up to 4-5 cm in height.
The spore powder of this species has a brown color with a purple tint, sometimes almost black, the spores are smooth. In young stropharia, the shitty spore powder is grayish-brown in color.
Cap Description
The cap of this species can reach 2,5 cm in diameter, however, on average, its size is only 1-1,5 cm. At the initial stage of development, its shape is hemispherical, however, as it develops, the cap becomes convex. In young mushrooms, the lower edge is folded inward, but then it gradually straightens out.
The color of the cap varies from light brown to dark brown tones with an admixture of red. The older the fruiting body, the lighter its color.
The surface of the cap is hygrophanous, slightly sticky to the touch. In wet weather, the surface shines. Young specimens are distinguished by the radial radiance of the cap – its plates are slightly translucent.
Description of the leg
The leg of shit geophila can have a length of about 3-7 cm, while the diameter does not exceed 4-5 mm. The shape of the stem is straight, but may be slightly curved at the base. Its structure is fibrous. In young fruiting bodies, the stem is usually covered with small white scales.
The color of the legs varies from white tones to yellowish brown. The plates are adherent and wide enough, but they are located infrequently. They are grayish-brown in color, but over time the plates darken.
In general, the leg of this species is rather brittle and hard, the surface is smooth and dry to the touch.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Geophila shitty is an inedible species. Its pulp contains a large amount of neurotoxins that provoke severe hallucinations. Moreover, eating dishes from this fungus quickly causes drug addiction.
The action of psilocybin appears on average 30 minutes after a meal. The hallucinogenic effect lasts 2-4 hours.
Where and how to grow
Shitty stropharia is most often found in dunghills and grows both singly and in groups. The prevalence of the species is small, it is a rarity to find it. The period of active growth falls on August-September. In warm regions, this variety can be harvested until early December.
Twins and their differences
Shit geophila has at least three doubles that are dangerous to human health. Most often it is confused with the following varieties:
- stropharia hemispherical;
- paneolus campanulate;
- psilocybe montana.
Stropharia hemispherical also grows next to large accumulations of manure, however, its leg is mucous and more yellow. In general, its fruiting body is lighter than that of its relative. In addition, this species does not have radial stripes on the cap, that is, the plates on the underside are invisible.
For eating, this species is unsuitable – the substances contained in it cause strong hallucinogenic reactions.
Paneolus (bell-shaped dung beetle), unlike poop baldness, always has a dry hat and spotted plates. In addition, its hat is somewhat more elongated than that of the shitty geophila.
Paneolus contains a large amount of psilocybin, a substance that is a powerful hallucinogen, so it is classified as an inedible variety.
Psilocybe Montana (or mountain psilocybe) is distinguished from geophile by mechanical damage – the fruiting body of the latter should not turn blue when exposed to it.
It is impossible to eat psilocybe Montana – the pulp of this subspecies contains a high proportion of hallucinogenic substances.
Conclusion
Shitty stropharia (Kakashkina’s bald head) is a small but extremely dangerous mushroom. Eating dishes from shitty stropharia does not lead to immediate death, however, the concentration of hallucinogenic substances in it is very high. The psilocybin component contained in the pulp causes clouding of consciousness after 10-20 minutes, and regular intake of shitty stropharia in food leads to drug addiction. In large quantities, this species can be fatal.
You can learn more about what shitty stropharia looks like from the video below: