Since their first discovery, psilocybin mushrooms have captivated humanity. The original shrooms were plucked from the forest floor, but now mycologists have taken the process indoors. Many home mushroom cultivators are popping their own psilocybin strains. Sometimes, that leads to happy accidents, like magic mushroom mutations.
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Mutations are often isolated anomalies. They pop up in solidified magic mushroom strains, and a grower might try to reproduce the most interesting. The mutant will emerge from of the growing substrate with an interesting morphology or coloring that differs from the other fruiting bodies. Many mushroom enthusiasts isolate these special shrooms and attempt to reproduce them, leading to a growing list of coveted psilocybin mutations.
There are many mutant strains, like the Jack Frost mushroom, but they will often have certain traits in common. While some states and municipalities have decriminalized psilocybin, check the laws before seeking out these special shrooms.
Albino
Albino mushrooms are completely colorless. Leucistic shrooms are similarly pigment-free but may not be completely white. Albino fruiting bodies are starkly white and sometimes a little blue. Psilocybin mushroom expert Dave Wombat bred many of the most popular options like:
- True Albino Teachers (TAT)
- Albino Penis Envy (APE)
- Ymir
- Albino Odisha Indian
Enigma
The Enigma mushroom is stunning, with a brain-like morphology similar to ocean coral. Psilocybin expert Doma Nunzio was the first to isolate and reproduce the anomaly from a flush of Tidal Wave mushrooms. He named it TW2 before the mushroom community decided Enigma fit better.
Biotechnology lab Tryptomics has tested Enigma mutations from Blue Magnola Rust, Toque, Omni, and APE mushrooms. These tests have shown that, though amazing to look at, Enigma mushrooms are no more potent than other cubes.
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Melmac
Unlike the other mutants on the list, Melmac is isolated from one magic mushroom strain: Penis Envy. The isolation is said to have happened sometime in the 1980s, a theory solidified by the fact that it is named after the home planet of the popular 80’s television character.
Though the name takes the imagination to outer space, there is no indication that this type of Psilocybe cubensis is any more potent than another. The shroom may have earned the spacey name because the caps curve upwards from the stem rather than down, making them look like magic saucers.
Rosecomb mutation
Unlike other mutants on this list, rosecomb may not be ideal for eating. The rosecomb mutation occurs when the mushrooms come into contact with chemical agents like petroleum.
Mushroom growers used to wipe down their containers with WD40, and if some was left behind the mushroom gills would form on top of the cap rather than under. It appears like a rose but is not quite as beautiful since it also indicates that the fruiting bodies are chemically altered.
Mushroom mutations are cool, to say the least
There is much left to learn about psilocybin mushrooms–from eating to growing them. These special surprise mutations offer a look into the unknown. While we can grow and dose based on our learned knowledge, something a little different might pop out. Whether that looks like a trip with an unforeseen lesson or a stark white coral fruiting body depends on the day.
