Wild Species Bluing ✓ Potency: ★★☆☆☆

Psilocybe atrobrunnea

Common name: Dark Brown Bog Psilocybe

Field Identification

Cap0.5–2cm; small; convex to hemispherical; very dark brown (almost black when wet); strongly hygrophanous; smooth
GillsAdnate; gray becoming dark purple-brown; crowded
Stem3–8cm; very dark brown; silky; thin; fragile; bluing at base
Spore PrintDark purple-brown
HabitatPeat bogs, sphagnum moss, boggy lakeshores, wet heathland; a moisture-specialist species
DistributionEurope (particularly Scandinavia, UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands); also Pacific Northwest USA
SeasonAugust–November

Key Identification Feature

Peat bog and sphagnum moss habitat is the primary distinguishing feature — very few Psilocybe species occupy this specialized habitat. Small size, very dark cap, and strong bluing at stem base. Found in extremely wet environments that other Psilocybe species don't occupy.

⚠ Dangerous Lookalikes

Galerina species (several Galerina species also occupy wet boggy habitats — DEADLY; rusty spore print is critical), small brown bog mushrooms generally

Notes

Psilocybe atrobrunnea is notable for its unusual habitat specialization — peat bogs and sphagnum moss environments that are very different from the wood chip, grassland, or manure habitats of most psychoactive mushroom species. This habitat specificity makes it one of the more reliably identifiable Psilocybe species in its range: if you're in a wet peat bog in northern Europe and find a small, very dark brown mushroom with dark purple-brown spores and strong bluing, P. atrobrunnea is the primary candidate. That said, Galerina species also occupy bogs, making spore print color essential.

Legal Status Warning Psilocybin-containing mushrooms are controlled substances in most jurisdictions. This guide is for educational purposes only. Wild foraging for psilocybin mushrooms may be illegal in your location. Never consume wild mushrooms without positive identification from an expert mycologist — misidentification can be fatal.

All Wild Species