''Conocybe'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

s with ''

Conocybe tenera ''Conocybe tenera'', commonly known as the brown dunce cap or common cone head, is a widely distributed member of the genus ''Conocybe'', for which it serves as the type species. Description ''Conocybe tenera'' is a small saprotrophic mushroom ...

'' as the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

and at least 243 other species. There are at least 50 different species in North America. Most have a long, thin fragile stipe and are delicate, growing in grasslands on dead moss, dead grass, sand dunes, decayed wood, and dung. ''Conocybe'' species generally prefer fertile soils in lawns and pastures and are found worldwide. ''Conocybe'' species are sometimes called dunce caps or cone heads due to their conical or bell-shaped

caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...

. Former species of ''Conocybe'' that have a well-developed

partial veil In mycology, a partial veil (also called an inner veil, to differentiate it from the "outer", or universal veil) is a temporary structure of tissue found on the fruiting bodies of some Basidiomycota, basidiomycete fungus, fungi, typically agarics. ...

and/or lack lecythiform

cheilocystidia A cystidium (: cystidia) is a relatively large cell found on the sporocarp of a basidiomycete (for example, on the surface of a mushroom gill), often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that are oft ...

have been transferred to the genus ''

Pholiotina ''Pholiotina'' is a genus of small agaric fungi. It was circumscribed by Swiss mycologist Victor Fayod in 1889 for '' Conocybe''-like species with partial veils. The genus has since been expanded to include species lacking partial veils. Taxonom ...

'', which was formerly a subgenus of ''Conocybe''. However, ''Pholiotina'' as it is currently defined is

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...

, although none of the three clades that make it up belong in ''Conocybe''. Similar to ''

Galerina ''Galerina'' is a genus of small brown-spore saprobic mushroom-bearing fungi, with over 300 species found throughout the world from the far north to remote Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean. The genus is most noted for some extremely poison ...

'', a ''Conocybe'' species can be distinguished microscopically by its cellular

cap cuticle The pileipellis is the uppermost layer of hyphae in the pileus of a fungal fruit body. It covers the trama, the fleshy tissue of the fruit body. The pileipellis is more or less synonymous with the cuticle, but the cuticle generally describes th ...

, which is filamentous (thread-like) in ''Galerina''. It is easy to confuse ''Conocybe'' species for ''Galerina'' species unless the microscopic nature of the cap cuticle is examined. ''Conocybe'' species have cap cuticles resembling cobblestones. ''Conocybe'' species can also be mistaken for species of '' Bolbitius''. Four species of ''Conocybe'' that are known to contain the

hallucinogen Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelics, entheogens, or historically as psychotomimetics, are a large and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mo ...

ic compounds

psilocin Psilocin, also known as 4-hydroxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-HO-DMT), is a substituted tryptamine alkaloid and a serotonergic psychedelic. It is present in most psychedelic mushrooms together with its phosphorylated counterpart psilocy ...

and

psilocybin Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a natural product, naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid and Investigational New Drug, investigational drug found in more than List of psilocybin mushroom ...

are '' C. kuehneriana'', '' C. siligineoides'', '' C. cyanopus'', and '' C. smithii''. ''Conocybe siligineoides'' was used for

shaman Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...

ic purposes by the Mazatecs of

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

. ''

Conocybe filaris ''Conocybe rugosa'' is a common and highly toxic species of mushroom that is widely distributed in Eurasia and North America. Taxonomy The species was originally described in the genus ''Pholiotina'', and its morphology and a 2013 molecular p ...

'' is a common lawn mushroom that contains the same deadly toxins as the

death cap ''Amanita phalloides'' ( ), commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus and mushroom, one of many in the genus ''Amanita''. Originating in Europe but later introduced to other parts of the world since the late ...

. ''Conocybe'' comes from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

''cono'' meaning ''cone'' and ''cybe'' meaning ''head''. Conocybe_cf_coprophila_Colombia_underside

Selected species

*'' Conocybe apala'' (very common) *'' Conocybe aurea'' *'' Conocybe coprophila'' (Coprophilous) *''

Conocybe cyanopus ''Conocybula cyanopus'' is a species of fungus that contains psychoactive compounds including psilocybin and the uncommon aeruginascin. Originally described as ''Galerula cyanopus'' by American mycologist George Francis Atkinson in 1918. It was ...

'' (psychoactive) *'' Conocybe elegans'' *'' Conocybe farinacea'' (Coprophilous) *''

'' (deadly) *''

Conocybe kuehneriana ''Conocybe velutipes'' is a species of mushroom in the Bolbitiaceae The Bolbitiaceae are a family (biology), family of mushroom-forming basidiomycete fungi. A 2008 estimate placed 17 genera and 287 species in the family. Bolbitiaceae was circ ...

'' (psychoactive) *'' Conocybe moseri'' *'' Conocybe pubescens'' (Coprophilous) *'' Conocybe reticulata'' *'' Conocybe rickenii'' *''

Conocybe siligineoides ''Conocybe siligineoides'', also known as cone caps, Ya'nte, Ta'a'ya, or Tamu, is a species of macro-fungus in the family Bolbitiaceae. It has seldom been observed by the mycological community with all specimens having been collected in Mexico. ...

'' (psychoactive) *''

Conocybe smithii ''Conocybula cyanopus'' is a species of fungus that contains psychoactive compounds including psilocybin and the uncommon aeruginascin. Originally described as ''Galerula cyanopus'' by American mycologist George Francis Atkinson in 1918. It was ...

'' (psychoactive) *''

'' (type species) *'' Conocybe volviradicata''

Legal status

United States

Louisiana

Except for

ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

purposes, growing, selling or possessing ''Conocybe'' spp. (and ''

Psilocybe ''Psilocybe'' ( ) is a genus of gilled mushrooms, growing worldwide, in the family Hymenogastraceae. Many species contain the Psychedelic drug, psychedelic compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Taxonomy Taxonomic history A 2002 study of the ...

'' spp.) is prohibited by

Louisiana State Act 159 Signed into law June 28, 2005, and effective August 8, 2005, Louisiana State Act No 159 found in, Louisiana RS 40:989.1, outlawed the cultivation, possession or sale of 40 named plants defined as hallucinogenic in the state of Louisiana, US. House ...

References

External links