What Is Panaeolus Cyanescens (Aka Copelandia Cyanescens)?

What Is Panaeolus Cyanescens (AKA Copelandia Cyanescens)?

Adam Parsons
Adam Parsons
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Whether you know them as Panaeolus cyanescensCopelandia cyanescens, or by the nickname “The Hawaiian”, they all refer to the same species of fungus. Although initially discovered in Asia, Panaeolus cyanescens is now more commonly found and consumed in Hawaii, hence the nickname.

And make no mistake, these magic mushrooms contain tryptamine alkaloids that produce mind-altering/expanding effects, making them a hugely popular choice among modern psychonauts. But what exactly is Panaeolus cyanescens? Below, we take a look at everything from the history to how to dose, so you'll be clued up in no time.

The History Of Panaeolus Cyanescens

The History Of Panaeolus Cyanescens

As mentioned, the story of Panaeolus cyanescens begins in Asia. However, it's thought that they were introduced to the Hawaiian islands during the 1800s when cattle were imported from the Philippines. Copelandia cyanescens were first identified in 1871 as Agaricus cyanescens by Berkeley and Broome from a specimen in Sri Lanka. A few years later, Copelandia papilionacea were discovered and documented in the Philippines by Italian mycologist Giacomo Bresadola.

Copelandia cyanescens are most commonly found in Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, the Philippines, Eastern Australia, India, Bali, Southeast Asia, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Florida, among other warm climates.

Copelandia cyanescens belongs to the family Coprinaceae, and is primarily dung-loving, but it has also been found in grassland where manure was previously deposited.

Appearance And Chemistry Of Panaeolus Cyanescens

Appearance and Chemistry of Panaeolus cyanescens

Panaeolus cyanescens mushrooms are characterised by their narrow, thin stem that leads to the cap. Typically a light beige, almost white in appearance, the cap grows to between 1.5 and 4cm in diameter. Because of its light colour, if the mushroom becomes damaged, it can actually exhibit an intense and immediate bluing reaction, much like a bruise. For this reason, these mushrooms have been given the affectionate title of “blue meanies”. Although, this term is sometimes used to describe other mushroom varieties as well, so be aware.

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Copelandia cyanescens typically contains 2.5% psilocybin and around 1.94% psilocin by weight. This means that these mushrooms are much stronger than the cubensis species, and that their alkaloid level is one of the more potent in the world today.

Copelandia Cyanescens Vs Psilocybe Cyanescens

Copelandia cyanescens vs Psilocybe cyanescens

Despite their similarity in name, Copelandia cyanescens and Psilocybe cyanescens are indeed distinct mushroom species from separate genera. While both provide psychoactive effects, Copelandia cyanescens is considered the more potent of the two.

With an average psilocybin content of around 0.39–0.66% and a psilocin content of between 0.75–1.96%, Psilocybe cyanescens pales in comparison to Copelandia cyanescens, though it’s far from tame itself.

Psilocybe cyanescens are much different in appearance too, featuring white stems that lead to wavy, bell-shaped caps that are typically brown or dark yellow in hue. They are even referred to as “wavy caps” for this reason. They are also larger in comparison (and therefore easier to spot), with caps being between 1.5–6cm in diameter, and stems reaching heights of up to 15cm.

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Effects Of Panaeolus Cyanescens

Effects of Panaeolus cyanescens

Historical reports about the mind-altering and expanding effects of psilocybin are described as a visit to the spiritual world. While the hallucinogenic effects are comparable to LSD, psilocybin is 200 times less powerful, and the trip is significantly shorter.

Typical bodily reactions include enlarged pupils, relaxed muscles, and a cold feeling in the limbs and abdomen. Stronger doses of magic mushrooms lead to "bent" time and space, visionary deep thoughts (total understanding of "how the whole universe works"), greatly increased creativity, and, of course, hallucinations.

Psychonauts with prior psilocybin experience are often more prone to the effects and more easily "disconnect" from the daily reality—and cope much better with the newly acquired state of consciousness. To where this trip takes someone greatly depends on the traveller and their mood and state of mind. So your experience will (always!) be 100% unique. No matter how many stories you'll hear or read about a trip, none will describe your personal visit to the "other, visionary world".

Copelandia cyanescens is much stronger than any cubensis mushroom variety, and induces a more visual trip with vivid and "tropical" colours. The effects of a medium dose last for about 4–6 hours and then wear off gradually before disappearing completely.

How To Dose Copelandia Cyanescens

How To Dose Copelandia cyanescens

There are several schools of thought when it comes to dosing Copelandia cyanescens, and it boils down to what you're looking to get out of the experience. Of course, when it comes to your first time taking mushrooms, it's advisable to proceed with caution. Taking a smaller dose allows users to establish a feel for the psychoactive nature of the mushroom. As a rule of thumb, it's best to take your mushrooms on an empty stomach, as this allows for quicker absorption and more pronounced effects.

With that in mind, a typical small dose of Copelandia cyanescens is around 2.1 grams of fresh mushrooms, or about 0.2 grams dried. A large dose would be about 7.7 grams fresh, or 0.8 grams dried. The mushrooms don't have to be eaten as they are; they can also be added to hot water to create a tea, or you can mix them with hot chocolate or orange juice to mask the flavour.

For a much more accurate dose, consult the Zamnesia Magic Mushroom Calculator. Simply select your weight, pick the type of shroom, whether they're fresh or dried, the size of dose you're looking to take, and it will give you a calculation of how much you should take for the desired effect.

Magic mushroom dosage calculatorCalculate

Growing & Storage Of Panaeolus Cyanescens

Growing & Storage of Panaeolus cyanescens

While the cultivation of Panaeolus cyanescens is a little more “hands-on” than with cubensis strains, for example, with a bit of patience, it can still be achieved with relative ease. There are many options when it comes to growing Panaeolus cyanescens. Which route you choose will depend entirely on your setting and circumstances. However, for the sake of ease, Copelandia Hawaiian Mushroom Grow Kits provide a streamlined method of cultivating potent shrooms from the comfort of your home.

The grow kit includes a tub containing the mycelium already in the soil, a grow bag, and 2 cups of topsoil. This is essentially everything you need to get great results. As mushrooms are naturally found in environments where dung is present, the soil is a mixture of manure and grain, making it the ideal setting for the mushrooms to grow. Just be sure to keep the soil moist throughout the grow with the help of a spray bottle filled with water.

Before starting your growing project, it's essential your hands are clean and the surfaces you're working on have been cleansed with rubbing alcohol to prevent contamination.

Now that your grow kit is ready, spray the top layer of substrate as well as the inside of the grow bag. Place the tub inside, and give it fresh oxygen once or twice a day by squeezing the bag. Be sure to top up the moisture in the bag with a spray of water once in a while. This will create the perfect environment for the mushrooms to fruit.

It's now time for the primordia to form. This can be achieved at temperatures between 21–26°C, with 95–100% relative humidity. So keep the contents of the bag moist and in a warm area of the house. After around 6–11 days, you should see the pins begin to form; it's time to refresh the growing environment. Take the tub out of the bag and spray the inside to keep the growing area moist. Place the tub back into the bag and give the mushrooms 5–7 more days for the fruit bodies to develop. Maintaining the same temperature as before alongside a slightly lower relative humidity of 90–95% will do the trick.

Once ready, pick the mushrooms and allow them to dry. Drying takes very little time, as the fruit of Panaeolus cyanescens is much thinner than other species. Once dried, they are ready to use however you want. Dried mushrooms can be stored for years. However, fresh ones should be kept in the fridge and consumed within two weeks. It's no secret that mushrooms have a bit of an acquired taste, so it's worth bearing in mind that the fresher they are, the more pleasant they taste.

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Panaeolus Cyanescens (Copelandia Cyanescens) Available Now

Panaeolus cyanescens (Copelandia cyanescens) Available Now

Now you know what Panaeolus cyanescens mushrooms are all about; all that's left to do is try them for yourself. While it may seem like a tall order to grow mushrooms from home, it needn't be. To make things much more manageable, grow kits can be purchased from Zamnesia, and come equipped with everything you need for a successful grow.

Adam Parsons
Adam Parsons
Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.
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