Spores of Promise: The Psilonautic Potential of Psilocybe ingeli

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Psilocybe cubensis is the best-known magic mushroom, having held centre stage in cultivator circles for over half a century, the span of influence woven by its wide mycelial web deep and far-reaching. This is for good reason, due to the ease of its cultivation, the speed of its growth, the bountiful flushes of mushrooms it yields, and its wide distribution.

P. cubensis first entered into cultivation circles courtesy of the McKenna brothers, from spores sourced during their adventures in the Colombian Amazon. Writing under pseudonyms, they published the game-changing Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide, popularising the hobby of home psilocybin mushroom cultivation in the 1970s and effectively making psilocybin open-source.

However, in spite of these qualities, not everyone is a fan of P. cubensis. Not all Mazatec shamans will use it, including the late Maria Sabina, for example. Richard Gutierrez, who played a key role in developing the popular “Penis Envy” strain of P. cubensis, notably does not like to partake of this mushroom himself, not having done so since the 1970s. In an interview with Hamilton Morris, he said that “it’s never been my mushroom of choice; I’ve always eaten [Psilocybe] cyanescens.” Even cubensis connoisseur kingpin Terrence McKenna swore off heroic doses of this mushroom altogether following a particularly harrowing experience with it in 1998.

The Mazatec and other Indigenous groups who have long used these mushrooms tend to take the view that different species have distinct qualities or their own ‘signature’, with certain species revered over others or considered preferable for specific purposes. P. cubensis does not tend to be held in the highest regard in comparison to other species by the Mazatec. This view is shared by ethnobotanist Kathleen Harrison, who has worked extensively with the Mazatec and various Psilocybe species.

Such a view is also commonly echoed by experienced cultivators. It isn’t uncommon for psilonauts to complain of more body load issues and a gnarlier onset when ingesting P. cubensis in comparison to other species. Body load may be experienced as a range of unpleasant physical sensations such as stomach ache, nausea, bloating, dizziness, feelings of being over-stimulated, temperature changes, or feelings of tension or of being weighed down. Such side effects have the potential to alter the overall tone of a trip. Experienced cultivators will sometimes refer to other species they have grown and sampled as “cube killers”. Some will feel strongly enough to forgo ever growing or ingesting P. cubensis mushrooms from that point on.

The current prevailing mainstream scientific view is that psilocin and its prodrug psilocybin in the mushrooms are the only active psychoactive compounds, and different species of mushrooms will vary only in potency. Any perceived differences between species are considered to be underpinned entirely by set and setting factors such as expectancy, rather than anything intrinsic to a given mushroom. 

While the jury is still out on the possible modulating influence of other secondary compounds in these fungi, it is worth considering that we’ve barely scratched the surface of chemically profiling them, with one study paper concluding that “our understanding of the chemical diversity of these mushrooms is largely incomplete”. We should be aware that these fungi exist not merely as packets of pure psilocybin, but as chemically complex organisms. Fungi are master chemical alchemists, and there is a growing body of research suggesting that there may be more than psilocybin alone that contributes to the effect of these fungi.

The Advent of Other Psilocybe Species

While P. cubensis has hogged the limelight for over half a century, there appears to be a growing interest in other species of mushrooms. Generally, more potent species than P. cubensis seem to be held in higher regard. People tend to report fewer body load issues ingesting more potent species, which requires consuming lesser amounts of fungal matter. This lighter fungal dining appeals to some.

The species Psilocybe ochraceocentrata – the closest living relative of P. cubensis (formerly referred to as P. natalensis) – has been making waves in cultivator circles, due to the ease of its cultivation (being no more difficult to grow than P. cubensis), with people often reporting they prefer the experience it provides, tending to describe it as offering a smoother experience than P. cubensis. In some sense, this mushroom may have acted as a gateway species to some, waking people up to the qualities offered by other non-cubensis species.

P. ochraceocentrata – along with P. natalensis and P. maluti – is one of a number of Psilocybe fungi species reported from southern Africa in recent years. Another recently discovered species hailing from the same part of the world that may offer a step up from P. ochraceocentrata is P. ingeli.

The Discovery of Psilocybe ingeli

Psilocybe ingeli is a recently discovered species of Psilocybe mushroom, only scientifically described in 2023. It was first observed and collected in the field by citizen mycologist Talan Moult, who noticed two mushrooms growing through the grass while clearing a plot for his beehives. It was found in manure-enriched pastureland in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, in a habitat and location that it shares with P. natalensis. He suspected it to be a Psilocybe of some kind and noted a strong indigo blueing reaction when it was bruised. He collected samples and submitted them for genetic analysis, with DNA sequencing indicating it to be a new species to science. 

These findings were published in the journal Mycologia, the result of a collaboration between citizen mycologists and academics from Stellenbosch University. The species is named after the Ingeli mountain range, where the type specimen was found.

The Potential of Psilocybe ingeli

Psilocybe ingeli is a species that should evoke interest among cultivators, given that it is highly potent, easy to cultivate, and grows quickly. Credit should be given to a cultivator with the alias PhenoDreamer for sourcing spores of this species from a collector in South Africa and then disseminating them to the wider community and sharing information regarding its cultivation (offering spores through his website). Another cultivator with the alias thebigfungus also deserves credit for generously sharing spores with members of the cultivator community.

Psilocybe ingeli has been described as “basically Zaps that fruit as fast as cubes and under similar low maintenance conditions” by chemist and researcher Julian Mattucci of Imperial Labs. Given the combination of its various qualities, P. ingeli could be a species of great importance to the psilonaut cultivator community, and beyond.

The Potency of Psilocybe ingeli

Initial analyses of dried P. ingeli mushrooms have indicated total alkaloid levels ranging from 2.3% to 3.2% by dry weight. This places it among the most potent magic mushrooms known, in the same potency ballpark as other highly potent species such as Panaeolus cyanescens and P. zapotecorum. This makes it generally a far more potent species than P. cubensis, which typically ranges from 0.5-1% alkaloids. While some batches of P. cubensis may attain over 2% potency levels on occasion, this is the result of decades of strain selection work.

To put the potency of P. ingeli into context, most clinical studies involving psilocybin use a (high) dose of 25mg of the pure compound. This means that at its upper potency levels, just 1 gram of dried mushroom material could potentially harbour this dosage of psilocybin (or more), so newcomers to this mushroom should tread carefully when dosing (and perhaps not exceed a dosage of 0.5g of dried mushroom material for a first-time experience). A dose at or exceeding 1g of dried mushroom material is likely to result in a deep and immersive experience. 50mg (0.05 g) of dried mushroom material should be sufficient for a microdose with this particular species.

Like all psilocybin mushrooms, potency can vary widely, as can individual sensitivities. One way of accounting for potency variation among potent mushrooms like this is to powder the dried mushrooms from a given flush of a grow and encapsulate them, which should provide a more consistent form of dosing. If seeking to prolong their potency, these capsules can be stored under an inert gas like argon or carbon dioxide.

How to Identify Psilocybe ingeli

The mushrooms often exhibit an intense indigo or deep blue-black colouring reaction when cut or handled. Mature caps resemble small wavy caps (Psilocybe cyanescens) mushrooms in both shape and colouration.

Cap: 1–3 cm wide, caramel brown when moist, fading to light grey when dry, slightly bluing around the cap margin with handling. The cap is convex to hemispheric, umbonate (possessing a raised area in the centre of the cap) in profile, with a straight margin, occasionally slightly incurved. It has a smooth surface with visible gill lines beneath running about half of the way up the cap (translucent-striate). It has a translucent jelly skin covering present when the mushrooms are young and moist, which can be peeled away with care (a separable gelatinous pellicle).

Stem: 3–7 cm long, 0.2–0.6 cm thick. Caramel-brown with white scales and a fine dusting (pruinose). Base with white mycelium and bruises blue when damaged.

Gills: Light grey when young, dark brown at maturity with whitish edges, and sinuate (smoothly notched before the attachment to the stem).

Spore Print: Dark purple-brown.

How to Cultivate Psilocybe ingeli Mushrooms

P. ingeli appears to be quite easy to cultivate, not much more challenging than P. cubensis to grow. The species is a member of Section Zapotecorum. Other related species that are part of this same group include P. zapotecorum and P. subtropicalis, which are held in high shamanic esteem by Indigenous groups in Mexico. However, these species take a while to grow, shifting into slow motion when fruiting (if using P. cubensis as a reference), and they can be more challenging species to cultivate than P. ingeli. P. ingeli is a fast fruiter compared to these species, fruiting on a similar timeframe to P. cubensis, with the added bonus that it is easier to take spore prints from than these other Section Zapotecorum species can be. P. ingeli appears to be the fastest and easiest to cultivate species of Section Zapotecorum currently known.

P. ingeli spores can be sourced from:

• Exotic Microscopy
• Lost Paradise Genetics
• Dino Spores
• Happi Spores
• SporeSwaps

Spores of P. ingeli are sometimes shared on the Reddit group devoted to it.

It’s important to note that although magic mushroom spores are legal to buy in most countries, cultivating them is usually illegal (depending on where you live). Make sure to check the laws in your region before cultivating P. ingeli. If you decide to grow any psilocybin-containing fungi in a restricted country, you do so at your own risk.

P. ingeli will grow and fruit readily at normal room temperature, but P. ingeli will grow and fruit readily at normal room temperature, but has also been observed to successfully fruit at much higher and lower temperatures than this outdoors. P. ingeli appreciates high humidity and a little more fresh air exchange than P. cubensis does during fruiting to grow to its full potential, and it is important that the substrate does not dry out during this time. These conditions can easily be achieved with a diffuser tub fruiting chamber setup. The mushrooms can still grow with less fresh air exchange, but they will take on a more noodly form with underdeveloped caps. A moist environment can also be achieved by spraying with a fine mister or by using a dialled fogger (on a timer) in other fruiting chamber setups.

To summarise, the growing process starts with spores or a tissue culture, which is then used to inoculate grains, which, when colonised, are then used to inoculate a bulk substrate, which is then fruited once colonised.

TL;DR: P. ingeli favours high humidity levels and a saturated substrate during fruiting, in addition to higher levels of fresh air exchange than P. cubensis to ensure healthy fruiting. These conditions can easily be dialled in using a diffuser tub or dreamer tub fruiting chamber setup. Coco coir makes a good bulk substrate ingredient. Applying a casing layer is necessary during fruiting, rather than optional (as when fruiting P. cubensis or P. ochraceocentrata). It is crucial that high humidity levels are maintained and that the substrate does not dry out during fruiting; otherwise, mushrooms will abort, even in an advanced stage of fruiting.

Step 1: Preparing and Inoculating the Substrate

Spores can be germinated on agar. P. ingeli mycelium will take on a tomentose (cottony) rather than rhizomorphic (root-like) form on agar. This can potentially be used to inoculate grains directly or to inoculate liquid culture to allow for future inoculations. 

A variety of different grains can be used  (e.g. brown rice, whole oats, non-hulled millet, etc.). These grains will require hydration and sterilisation in a pressure cooker prior to inoculation. Once the grain jars are colonised by mycelium, they are ready for spawning on bulk substrate. 

Step 2: Spawning to Bulk

For the bulk substrate, coconut coir alone is a suitable medium for P. ingeli, as is a coir/vermiculite mix (or the classic CVG mix, a blend of coir, vermiculite and gypsum), with some growers having also added dung to their bulk substrate. Coir and vermiculite are both relatively inert (not tending to attract other bacteria or fungi) and hold both water and air, which benefits the mycelium. These bulk substrate ingredients can be prepared for use by pasteurising with the bucket tek, with the appropriate quantity of water used relative to the quantity of substrate.

The bulk substrate should be hydrated at field capacity, where it is fully saturated with water, but without excess moisture. To test this, the bulk substrate should feel saturated with water to the touch, but when squeezed, it should not produce too much runoff.

The colonised grain spawn can then be mixed with the hydrated and pasteurised bulk substrate and added to fruiting trays, which are then placed in the fruiting chamber.

Step 3: Fruiting

Once the bulk substrate is fully colonised, a casing layer (of a quarter-inch depth) should be applied. Jiffy seed starter mix has been used successfully when pasteurised and pH buffered with lime. A mix of peat with coco coir and vermiculite and a little lime can also be used. 

This species appreciates a saturated substrate and a highly humid environment during fruiting, following casing (coupled with high levels of fresh air exchange), and maintaining this is important to keep pins from aborting, as drying of the substrate may cause this even during an advanced stage of fruiting. The pins seem fine with light misting to supplement moisture levels.

P. ingeli will benefit from being fruited in a “diffuser tub” fruiting chamber, which will help facilitate optimal levels of fresh air exchange and the higher humidity levels this species needs to thrive.

A variation on the classic monotub design for fruiting, diffuser tubs make use of the same large clear plastic tubs, but use a different setup configuration to enhance humidity and fresh air exchange. Diffuser tub setups have been used to successfully fruit a range of species.

Another viable automated fruiting chamber option well suited to fruiting P. ingeli is the “dreamer tub”.

In a diffuser tub setup, an inch of water is added to the base of the tub, into which run two aquarium air hoses, onto which are fitted long air stones which are submerged. The fruiting trays sit on a wire rack or object that places them above the water.

For a live demonstration of this diffuser tub setup, click here. Change the water a minimum of once a week to keep it fresh (water will absorb carbon dioxide produced by the fruiting culture, converting it to carbonic acid).

Alternatively, the base of the tub is lined with two or more inches of wet perlite (which will support high humidity), with a jar or two of water placed onto this, into which an aquarium air pump hose fitted with an airstone runs. The jars should have a lid with a hole drilled into it to allow air hose access, and smaller holes drilled in the rest of the lid (salt shaker style) to help reduce splashing and oversaturation of your fruiting trays. 

In addition to ensuring ample levels of fresh air exchange and humidity, the water in both types of diffuser tub setups will also filter the incoming air. 

Several holes can potentially be drilled into the sides of the diffuser tub over which adhesive synthetic filter discs can be placed to facilitate more passive air exchange.

Some growers report great success with fruiting P. ingeli outside. This will depend on your locale, as it needs high humidity levels to thrive, but some cultivators have found the species easy to work with outside, requiring less care while producing bountiful flushes of healthy mushrooms.

Growers can expect the first pins to appear in around two weeks once the colonised bulk substrate is placed into fruiting conditions. The mushrooms are quite slow to mature once they appear, relative to some other species, a trait of Section Zapotecorum (although they are the fastest fruiting species of this group known). The caps develop a wavy, upturned profile as they mature, as they get ready to drop spores. A good amount of fresh air exchange is needed for them to open up their caps.

Once the caps take on this form, the stem can be cut just under the cap, which is then placed onto some aluminium foil (with the underside of the cap resting on the foil). A glass or tub sprayed with a fine mist of water is then placed over the cap to provide a humid environment to help facilitate the dropping of spores. Leave for 24 hours, and you should have a spore print to store or share with others.

It’s worth reflecting on why you want to take mushrooms. Your motivations, the dosage, the setting, and your mindset – all of these factors will profoundly shape the experience.

A Promising Time for Psilonauts

The arrival of P. ingeli on the scene showcases the vital contribution of knowledgeable citizen mycologists and cultivators with regard to the discovery and dissemination of such species. Akin to a mycelial network, the interwoven web of the internet is also playing a role in helping facilitate the sharing of knowledge and spores. P. ingeli is likely to be one of a number of promising species to appear in cultivator circles in the coming years, as the scene continues to diversify and expand beyond a focus on P. cubensis. Much as natural ecosystems thrive on diversity, a greater richness of fungal species in the cultivator community may yield unforeseen benefits.

References

https://www.reddit.com/r/Psilocybe_ingeli/

Stamets, P. (2025) Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats: A Guide to the History, Identification, and Use of Psychoactive Fungi. Random House Inc.

van der Merwe B., Rockefeller A., Kilian A., Clark C., Sethathi M., Moult T., Jacobs K. (2024) A description of two novel Psilocybe species from southern Africa and some notes on African traditional hallucinogenic mushroom use. Mycologia 116(5): 821–834. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2024.2363137

Sam Gandy | Community Blogger at Chemical Collective

Sam is one of our community bloggers here at Chemical Collective. If you’re interested in joining our blogging team and getting paid to write about subjects you’re passionate about, please reach out to Sam via email at samwoolfe@gmail.com