Content
Stropharia shitty (Kakashkina bald head) is a rather rare species of mushrooms, the range of growth of which is extremely limited. Other names for the stropharia: Psilocybe coprophila, shit fly agaric, shit 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?
Stropharia shitty is a small mushroom, its height rarely exceeds 7 cm. Most often, the fruit body grows only up to 4-5 cm in height.
The spore powder in this species has a brown color with a purple tint, sometimes almost black, the spores are smooth. The young stropharia has a shitty spore powder that is grayish brown in color.
Description of the hat
A hat of this type 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 the cap develops, it becomes convex. In young mushrooms, the lower edge is rolled inward, but then it gradually straightens out.
The color of the cap varies from light brown to dark brown with an admixture of red. The older the fruiting body, the lighter its color.
The surface of the cap is hygrophilous, 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.
Leg description
A shitty geophile's leg can have a length of about 3-7 cm, while the diameter does not exceed 4-5 mm. The leg is straight in shape, but can be slightly curved at the base. Its structure is fibrous. In young fruiting bodies, the leg is usually covered with small white scales.
The color of the stem varies from white to yellowish brown. The plates are adherent and wide enough, but they are infrequently located. 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
Geofila shitty - inedible species. Its pulp contains a large amount of neurotoxins that provoke strong hallucinations. Moreover, the consumption of dishes made from this mushroom quickly causes drug addiction.
The effect of psilocybin is on average 30 minutes after a meal. The hallucinogenic effect lasts 2-4 hours.
Where and how it grows
Stropharia shitty is most often found in dung heaps and grows both singly and in groups. The prevalence of the species is small, it is very rare to find it. The period of active growth falls on August-September. In warm regions, this variety can be harvested until early December.
Doubles and their differences
The shit geophile has at least three doubles that are dangerous to human health. It is most often confused with the following varieties:
- hemispherical stropharia;
- paneolus bell-shaped;
- psilocybe Montana.
Hemispherical stropharia also grows next to large accumulations of manure, however, its leg is slimy and is more yellow. In general, its fruiting body is lighter than that of a relative. In addition, this species lacks radial stripes on the cap, that is, the plates are invisible from the lower side.
For consumption, this species is unsuitable - the substances contained in it cause strong hallucinogenic reactions.
In paneolus (bell-shaped dung beetle), in contrast to the poo bald spot, there is always a dry cap and spotty plates. In addition, his hat is somewhat more elongated than that of the shitty geophile.
Paneolus contains a large amount of psilocybin - a substance that is a powerful hallucinogen, therefore it is classified as an inedible species.
Psilocybe Montana (or mountain psilocybe) is distinguished from geophila by mechanical damage - the fruiting body of the latter should not turn blue when exposed to it.
Psilocybe Montana should not be eaten - the pulp of this subspecies contains a high proportion of hallucinogenic substances.
Conclusion
Stropharia shitty (Kakashkina 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 component of psilocybin 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 variety can be fatal.
You can learn more about what a shitty stropharia looks like in the video below:
