Image courtesy of Cathy
Sharp
Joel Kontinen
A fungus
named Psilocybe ochraceocentrata is the closest relative of a widely
cultivated psychedelic mushroom, giving clues to their evolutionary origins.
Can evolution
bring up new species? However, the scientist have discovered a new species in Africa.
Psychedelic mushrooms growing in southern Africa have
been identified as a new species that is the closest relative of Psilocybe
cubensis, the most well-known magic mushroom species. The discovery brings
scientists a step closer to understanding the evolutionary origins of these
psychoactive fungi.
But they were not brought about by evolution.
Alex Bradshaw at
Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his colleagues have named the
newly described species Psilocybe ochraceocentrata, because of the
ochre colour in the centre of the cap. It was collected from multiple sites
across Zimbabwe and South Africa between 2013.
Source:
James Woodford 2024