Wild Species Bluing ✓ Potency: ★★☆☆☆

Psilocybe caerulipes

Common name: Blue-foot psilocybe

Field Identification

Cap1-3.5cm, convex to broadly conic, cinnamon-brown, hygrophanous, slightly viscid
GillsAdnate to adnexed, pale brown becoming darker, crowded
Stem3-8cm x 2-4mm, pale brown with distinct bluish staining at base
Spore PrintPurplish-brown, ellipsoid, 7-10 x 4-5.5 µm
HabitatDecaying hardwood logs and debris, especially beech and elm; forest edges and riparian woodland
DistributionEastern North America (Nova Scotia south to Mexico, primarily eastern US)
SeasonJune through October

Key Identification Feature

Distinct blue-green staining at stem base; decaying hardwood habitat; eastern North America

⚠ Dangerous Lookalikes

Galerina marginata (deadly — ring present, different habitat); Hypholoma fasciculare (yellow gills, bitter taste, no bluing)

Notes

One of the few Psilocybe species native to eastern North America. The blue-green base coloration is distinctive and unusual. Less potent than western species. Rarely encountered by foragers, but documented in mycological literature from 1900s onward.

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.

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