Psilocybe caerulipes (Blue Foot Mushroom)

Psilocybe caerulipes Overview

Psilocybe caerulipes, also known as the Blue Foot Mushroom, is a rare psilocybin mushroom that grows in the US. It’s a wood-loving mushroom and can be found growing on or around decaying hardwood logs, “, especially near river systems,” writes Stamets. They can also be found growing on hardwood slash and debris, and are “widely distributed” east of the Great Plains throughout the Midwest and the Eastern US and up to Canada. “Although widely distributed, P. caerulipes is not found frequently,” writes Stamets. But when they grow on forest floors after warm summer and fall rains, they’re known to fruit in the same place for years.

Blue Foot mushrooms are named for their appearance: They have a blue hue at the base of their stem. They are a moderately potent psilocybin mushroom, roughly the same strength as Psilocybe cubensis. Psillow warns that the experience could possibly be strong, so start small with one to three grams of dried mushrooms before diving into headier experiences.

Identification and Description of Psilocybe Caerulipes

Cap: Small, generally conical, especially when young. Sometimes irregular. Reddish or orangish brown, fading to buff. Often with green stains. The surface is a little slimy when moist. The interior flesh bruises blue, but the change can take a while.
Gills: Close together, attached to the stem. Initially brown but becoming reddish-brown in maturity. The edges are whitish.
Stem: Proportionately a little thick, generally paler than the cap. Bruises blue, though not quickly. Dries bluish. Solid when young, becoming hollow with age. There is no ring, but young specimens sometimes have a visible ring zone.
Smell: Very slightly flour-like.
Taste: Flour-like.
Spores: Ellipsoid, variable in size.
Spore color: Dark purple-brown
Edibility: Psychoactive
Habitat: Eats and fruits from or near fallen logs or woody debris from hardwood trees. Sometimes found in mulch.

Season: Psilocybe caerulipes grows from late May through December.

Though relatively widespread, Little Bluefoot is hard to find and easily confused with other species. Few people know much about it, and there are experienced Psilocybe hunters who have never seen one. They can fruit singly or in loose groups.

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