“Blue Meanies” is the common name for Panaeolus cyanescens. The name says a lot about this species; they turn dark blue when picked and can certainly pack a punch. Panaeolus cyanescens are one of the more potent psilocybin-containing mushrooms, despite their unassuming stature. P. cyanescens produces small medium-sized brown to white mushrooms that are easy for amateur enthusiasts to overlook.
Mushrooms from the genus Panaeolus are very common; they grow globally in tropical and temperate environments. Panaeolus cyanescens is a tropical/subtropical grassland species, often found in dung—just like another familiar mushroom we know. If you were not aware of Blue Meanies, you could easily miss a patch while foraging for the more popular Psilocybe cubensis. The former is believed to contain two to three times the psilocybin found in cubensis.
What Are Blue Meanies Mushrooms?
Panaeolus cyanescens come from the genus Panaeolus, which at the time of writing is thought to contain around 77 species across 78 countries. Mushrooms belonging to this widespread genus are generally small, have black spores, and often grow on dung. But, not all Panaeolus contain psilocybin—a fact we will come back to later in this article. The Panaeolus genus contains up to 20 species that produce psilocybin, including Panaeolus cyanescens and Panaeolus cinctulus. Panaeolus mushrooms are called “mottlegills” due to the irregular spots or patches of color on their gills.
But, there’s something else worth noting about this particular species: Panaeolus cyanescens is a mushroom with many names. So many, in fact, that knowing what to call this particular species can be confusing. The genus name Panaeolus is Greek for “all variegated” which refers to the irregular spots or patches of color on their gills. Other mycologists simply call these mushrooms “mottlegills” for the same reason.
In English-speaking popular culture, Panaeolus cyanescens are sometimes called “Blue Meanies.” Rumor has it that Panaeolus cyanescens were named after the Blue Meanies from The Beatles’ classic psychedelic film “Yellow Submarine.” According to Gartz, this common name was coined in Australia. Confusingly, “Blue Meanies” is sometimes used in general descriptions of any psilocybin-containing mushrooms. A strain of Psilocybe cubensis is also called “Blue Meanies.”
Yet, the naming confusion doesn’t stop there. Taxonomy enthusiasts may recognize this mushroom’s previous name—now a synonym—Copelandia cyanescens. And if things weren’t already convoluted enough, Panaeolus cyanescens is also often confused with another psychoactive mushroom, Psilocybe cyanescens. Both mushrooms are abbreviated the same way, as P. cyanenscens, though some use Ps. cyanescens and Pan. cyanescens to distinguish between the two species of different mushrooms: Panaeolus cyanescens is a dung lover, whereas Psilocybe cyanescens is a wood lover. (Although each has comparable levels of psilocybin.) Finally, this mushroom is sometimes called “Pan cyan,” after its Latin name.
The taxonomic conundrums began early for this mushroom. It was first described in Sri Lanka as Agaricus cyanescens by Berkeley and Broome in 1871. A few years later, it was described by Bresadola from the Philippines, who named it Copelandia papilionacea; it was then named Copelandia cyanescens by Singer in 1951. The species was named Panaeolus cyanescens by Saccardo in 1887, which is now its official formal name. The genus Copelandia was deprecated, meaning that it’s no longer valid.
Though it’s now found in many countries around the globe, Panaeolus cyanescens is thought to have originated in Asia. This fungus belongs to the family Coprinaceae, the same family as the common mushroom Coprinus comatus, known as “Lawyers wig.” Yet, mushrooms in the Panaeolus genus have some unique characteristics: the gills of Panaeolus do not melt away (deliquesce) as do the members of the related genera Coprinellus and Coprinopsis.
Read: Types of Magic Mushrooms: 10 Shroom Strains You Should Know About
Blue Meanies Mushroom Identification
In the field, Panaeolus cyanescens tend to be light grey or off-white at maturity. When young, the caps are light brown and then fade to off-white or light grey. Occasionally, they have yellowish or brownish tones. The caps (pileus) are approximately 0.5-1.5 inches (1.5 to 4 cm) in diameter, at first hemispheric, then expanding to bell-shaped (campanulate) or convex. The cap margin is incurved when young, unrolling as the mushroom matures. The caps are slightly hygrophanous, losing their color as they dry out, often developing cracks in dry weather.
The gills have a broadly adnate to adnexed attachment. To clarify these terms, an adnate attachment means the gills are mostly attached to a stem, adnexed means only slightly. Panaeolus cyanescens gills sit close together under that cap, with two or three layers of intermediate gill—those that don’t join all the way to the stem from the cap edge. Panaeolus cyanescens also lacks a partial veil—a membrane that covers the gills in immature mushrooms. The gills are black or grey, and have a spotty, speckled, or cloudy appearance caused by the way the spores ripen together in tiny patches on the gill surface. The different patches darken at different times, causing a mottled appearance. As the spores mature, the gills turn black. All species in the Panaeolus genus, except for Panaeolus foenisecii, have a jet black spore print.
The stem (stipe) tends to be 2.75-4.75 inches (seven to 12 cm) long and around 0.1 inch (2-3 mm) thick. The width is equal along the length and slightly enlarged at the base. The stem is colored like the cap and covered in a fine white powder—a term mycologists call “pruinose.” The mushrooms have a flour-like (farinaceous) smell and taste. As with other psilocybin-containing fungi, when damaged, the mushrooms bruise greenish or blue. This coloration is often seen on the cap or the stem with Blue Meanies mushrooms.
Where Do Blue Meanies Mushrooms Grow?
Panaeolus cyanescens is a tropical and sub-tropical species. In tropical regions, the mushrooms grow year-round. In the subtropics, they grow from late spring to autumn, depending on rain and humidity. They are known to occur in temperate zones during wet and humid parts of summer. Blue Meanies are mostly found growing on cattle or horse dung in pastures and fields, growing singly and in groups. They appear in spring or during rainy seasons.
Their range in the United States is from Florida and along the Gulf Coast, where it fruits virtually year-round on “cow pies.” It is thought they were introduced to other countries by the movement of livestock; it is assumed Panaeolus cyanescens was introduced to the islands of Hawaii during the early 1800s when cattle were imported from the Philippines. Now, they occur throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In addition, Blue Meanies mushrooms are commonly found in Mexico, South America (Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru), Eastern Australia, India, Bali, Southeast Asia, South Africa, France, and Italy.
Is Panaeolus Related to Psilocybe?
Given the fact that species in both the Panaeolus and Psilocybe genera produce psilocybin, you might assume they’re closely related. However, scientists now think that the ability of certain mushrooms to produce psilocybin has been mutually shared between species that are not closely related, through a mechanism called horizontal gene transfer. This has allowed the production of psilocybin to jump between different groups of mushrooms—such as species in Psilocybe, Panaelous, Pluteus and Gymnopilus.
It’s now thought that the ability to produce psilocybin originated in Psilocybe, but then jumped to unrelated mushroom species sharing the same habitat. As both Psilocybe cubensis and Panaeolus cyanescens grow on dung, scientists now think that the genes for psilocybin production were shared in this environment millions of years ago. Psilocybin is thought to protect the developing fruit body from predation either through a toxic effect on the predator’s nervous system or affecting their ability to eat—but why would different species competing for the same habitat share beneficial genes? Proving the exact mechanism of something that happened way back in the past is nearly impossible, but we do know that as well as gene transfer through direct contact, third party critters like bacteria and viruses can sometimes ferry genes between species that might prefer to keep their genes to themselves.
Panaeolus cyanescens Potency
Albert Hofmann analyzed Panaeolus cyanescens, then known as Copelandia cyanescens, in the early 1960s after reports of “intoxications” caused by dung-loving fungi from southern France. Hofmann found psilocin in higher concentrations after analyzing the fruiting bodies, yet there were only slight quantities of psilocybin. Although the origins of these samples were mysterious to Hofmann, their true origins eventually came to light: they were growing from the dung of horses bought from Indonesia to take part in a horse race.
As mentioned above, this species is quite potent. The effects of Blue Meanies mushrooms may come on quickly due to higher levels of psilocin than psilocybin. Erowid reports that these mushrooms have a combined psilocybin and psilocin content of between 0.5 to 2.95 percent dry weight. In a 2010 study of mushrooms seized by German customs, researchers noted the considerably higher potency of confiscated Panaeolus cyanescens compared to Psilocybe cubensis. The P. cyanescens samples had an average potency of 2.5% psilocybin and 1.2% psilocin, compared to P. cubensis from the same study which came in at 1.2% psilocybin and 0.1% psilocin.
Recently certain strains of Panaeolus cyanescens have been growing in popularity, such as the Tamarind Tree British Virgin Islands (TTBVI) strain which has been cultivated to a maximum potency of 4.05% psilocybin, winning the Magic Myco cultivar cup in 2022.
As more data is gathered from published scientific research and psilocybin cup events, the potency of Panaeolus cyanescens generally seems to be around two to three times the potency of commonly cultivated Psilocybe cubensis strains. This means that you should take extra care when dosing, as the effects of stronger mushrooms are more susceptible to small changes in dosage. For those trying Blue Meanies for the first time, a starting dose of 0.5-1g might be a sensible approach.
Read: How Long Does It Take for Shrooms to Kick In?
How To Grow Panaeolus cyanescens
You can cultivate Blue Meanies mushrooms, but they are known to be more challenging to grow than Psilocybe cubensis. In a suitable climate, they can be easily grown outdoors. They can be grown indoors with the proper setup but require patience and lots of care and attention. They are thought of as a more intermediate and advanced project—having prior success with cubensis is recommended before cultivating Blue Meanies.
Like almost all cultivated mushroom species, P. cyanescens will do well on many types of agar, liquid culture and grain, and are often noted for their fast colonization times. Compared to Psilocybe cubensis, P. cyanescens like things a little warmer, with 80-85°F/27-29°C often stated as the preferred growing temperature for this species. Though P. cubensis will grow quite happily on substrates like coir straw or manure, most P. cyanescens cultivators swear by always including some proportion of manure in the bulk substrate recipe—up to 100% in some cases! This manure normally comes in the form of horse or cow manure that has been “field aged” to allow more volatile compounds like ammonia to evaporate and partial decomposition to occur.
The trickiest part for many growers is balancing the higher temperatures, humidity and airflow required to grow P. cyanescens, as without careful attention these factors can work against each other causing the grow to fail. This has led growers to employ many workarounds from semi automated set-ups to manually injecting their substrate with sterile water, to varying degrees of success! As with all mushroom cultivation, a couple of unsuccessful attempts may happen, but be persistent.
One method that has been growing in popularity since it was published in February of 2024 is the GordoTEK. Conceived of by psychedelic enthusiast Gordo, who also submitted the winning TTBVI sample to the 2022 Magic Myco cup, this method effectively hits all the target parameters required for a successful P. cyanescens grow. Using what is essentially a modified monotub design, the tek involves nesting two tubs inside one another. The bottom tub is partially filled with water, which is warmed by an aquarium heater to around 82°F/28°C. This creates a perfect warm climate within the tub above, which is filled with colonized grain spawn and sterile bulk substrate to a depth of between 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm). Once the substrate is fully colonized, a thin casing layer is applied and everything is heavily misted. A mesh window screen is placed under the lid of the tub, which is set on at an angle to increase airflow. The screen, the inside of the lid and the casing layer is misted three times per day until the mushrooms are ready to harvest.
Unlike most strains of P. cubensis, which will fruit quite happily without a casing layer, a casing layer is essential for growing P. cyanescens, likely to help the developing mushrooms retain moisture at their higher growing temperature. Many casing layer recipes call for the use of peat—but environmentally conscious mushroom growers are starting to turn away from peat due to its issues with overharvesting and impact on the climate. Some P. cyanescens growers have had success with vermiculite-only casing layers, so if you’re concerned about climate change then this recipe might be the one for you.
Panaeolus cyanescens Look-alikes
When foraging for any species of mushroom, it is essential to know the look-alike species. A “look-alike” species is a mushroom species that may be confused with your target species. The most common lookalike species are Protostropharia semiglobata, Conocybe spp, and possibly Deconica spp. Others include Pholiotina rugosa and Tubaria furfuracea. Though you should only consume wild mushrooms if you’re 100% sure of their identity, there are some simple ways to tell P. cyanescens apart from others. While not definitive, the bluing reaction of these mushrooms when damaged is a good indicator. Panaeolus cyanescens also have jet black spores. If you find these two features together, along with the other descriptions of P. cyanescens listed above, you’ve got a good chance of a positive identification.
The dung roundhead, Protostropharia semiglobata, is often mistaken for P. cyanescens as they both grow on dung. They key differences between these mushrooms are that P. semiglobata mushrooms have a straw-yellow to buff-tan cap, and their stipe has a ring. This lookalike has been listed as edible by some and poisonous by others, but the bitter taste of P. semiglobata will tell you if you’ve made a mistaken identification if you accidentally bite into one.
With Panaeolus cyanescens, some of the most common lookalikes are other Panaeolus themselves, as many look similar. Panaeolus antillarum, for example, is a macroscopically similar mushroom that was once thought to be the same species —Panaeolus antillarum has a thicker cap and is lighter in color. Thankfully this lookalike is edible (though not commonly eaten), so while an accidental ingestion of this mushroom won’t make you trip—it won’t make you sick either.
Some species considered lookalikes grow on different substrates. Tubaria furfuracea, for example, is similar to Blue Meanies mushrooms, but it grows in wood chips and not dung. It has a hygrophanous cap—like Panaeolus cyanescens—and fades in color as it dries. They are more delicate and not as flexible as Panaeolus cyanescens, with a light orange to brown spore print. Psathyrella spp can also be mistaken for Panaeolus; this species often grow on wood or lignin-enriched soils and has a brittle stem.
Galerina spp are not necessarily a lookalike, but it is important to be aware of it as it is deadly if eaten. Fortunately, it grows in a different habitat; this toxic mushroom prefers decomposing wood and moss to dung. It has a rusty brown/orange spore print and has an orange to dark brown stem rather than the white/grey stem that bruises blue-green like Panaeolus cyanescens. Another wood-loving species, Pholiotina rugosa found in the Pacific Northwest, is also important; spores are rusty orange to brown. Both species are known to contain deadly amatoxins, the same toxins found in Death Caps (Amanita phalloides).
When foraging, be sure to take a field guide for your area, and have a couple of forums handy on your phone. Shroomery has the “Mushrooms Hunting and Identification” subforum. The iNaturalist app is also handy and can provide identifications when photos of the mushrooms are uploaded. There are numerous Facebook groups: Join one local to the area you are foraging; members will be aware of local lookalikes. Check all the mushrooms as you collect them; try to avoid picking those that don’t fit the description. It is also best to not trespass; always seek the permission of the landowner. A friendly tip: the gift of a bottle of wine or six-pack of beer can go a long way and may provide extra advice. Also, keep in mind, being found in possession of psilocybin-containing mushrooms is illegal in most parts of the world.
