Psilocybe aff. natalensis (ochraceocentrata) : Natal Super Strain Spore Print

Spores supplied as spore prints on heavy foil. Packaged individually, and guaranteed clean and stable. Spore print size and density may vary based on species and variety.

Habitat: Grassland and Enriched Soils

Climate: Subtropical

Strain Origin: Natal, South Africa

Cap: To 25 mm in diameter, obtusely conic expanding to broadly convex with age, occasionally with a small umbo. Yellowish towards the disc, whitish overall, not hygrophanous, often bluish tinged along the margin. Surface smooth to irregular in places.

Stem: 40-120 mm in length by 2-10 mm thick. Smooth, silky white, straight to curved and enlarged near the base. Bruising bluish green where injured, particularly near the base. Partial veil scant to absent, not leaving veil remnants.

Gills: Attachment bluntly adnate to subdecurrent in age. Buff at first, then dark purplish brown with white margins.

Spores: Dark purplish brown, broadly ellipsoid, 13 by 8 micrometers on 4-spored basidia, though 1, 2, and 3 spored basidia observed.

A unique and exciting species endemic to Natal, South Africa.

Originally collected in 1994 in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in an artificially fertilized cattle pasture, another collection was made nearby in 1998 from an irrigated lawn at the Royal Natal National Park. Though it resembles Psilocybe cubensis, recent genetic testing has confirmed that it is a unique species. In comparison to the closely related P. cubensis, it is incredibly vigorous and resistant to disease.

UPDATE: The holotype of Psilocybe natalensis has been recently sequence and surprisingly, it doesn't match with what has been circulating as P. natalensis, which is likely an undescribed species. A collection with a matching holotype sequence to P. natalensis is seen here: https://mushroomobserver.org/547228

The real P. natalensis has longer and narrower spores than the Psilocybe aff. natalensis (ochraceocentrata) that is in circulation. Due to this discrepancy we are now amending the name of our material to Psilocybe aff. natalensis until it is formerly described. The aff. is used to describe a potentially new and undescribed species that has a close relationship to an existing species.

UPDATE 2: Psilocybe aff. natalensis has recently been provisionally described as Psilocybe ochraceocentrata nom. prov.: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.03.626483v1.full

* Spores intended for microscopy and taxonomy purposes only. Images provided for informational and educational reference only and originate from cultivators and labs outside the US. Cultivation of this species is illegal in many countries including the United States. Please check your local regulations.

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