Psilocybe fimetaria is a magic mushroom known to grow in Great Britain. Its cap is 1.5cm to 3.5cm in diameter and is usually broadly convex with translucent striations on the surface. When moist, the cap becomes sticky and reddish brown to honey. When dried, it becomes yellowish olive to ochre. Psilocybe fimetaria can grow as tall as 9cm.Known in the UK as Liberty Caps, or simply Libs, psilocybe semilanceata is the most well-known and common magic mushroom found in the UK and many other countries. Standing 4-10cm tall, the mushroom has a distinct conical to bell-shaped cap that grows to about 2-2.5cm. It also has a small nipple-looking lump on the top of the cap.Whilst the Psilocybe genus of magic mushrooms is big, it is not the only one.
THE OTHER GENERA
Psilocybe genus of magic mushrooms is big, it is not the only one. To get a real idea of the sheer quantity of different types of magic mushrooms out there, you need to take into account the other genera of magic mushrooms that sit alongside the Psilocybe genus. These are:
• Conocybe
• Copelandia
• Galerina
• Gymnopilus
• Inocybe
• Mycena
• Panaeolina
• Panaeolus
• Pholiotina
• Pluteus
Each of these genera may not rival Psilocybe in the sheer number of species they contain, each has a selection of species within them that all contain psilocybin and the other psychoactive compounds found within magic mushrooms. Once again, this is not to say that they are all fit for human consumption, as many of them may/will contain other compounds that are harmful, but they are all technically ‘magic’.
There are 11 known genera of magic mushrooms, but each of these contains many species, with each species likely having many variations. The numbers are in the hundreds, if not the thousands, and these are only the ones that have been discovered.