to make up a section of the genus called the Caerulescentes 
(from Latin, ‘‘becoming blue’’), defined by the appearance of 
blue stains after injury or under certain conditions of growth 
(16). Many seekers of hallucinogenic mushrooms believe that 
any mushroom showing blue stains on bruising is a psilocybin- 
containing species, but blueing also occurs in genera unrelated 
to Psilocybe; consequently, it has nothing to do with the pres- 
ence of the active principle. For example, some of the poison- 
ous boletes stain blue on bruising. Moreover, blueing is not 
necessarily a reliable character within the genus. One of the 
most active Pacific Northwest species, to be described below, 
shows it only irregularly, even when treated with p-methyl- 
aminophenol sulfate (Metol), a chemical that is supposed to 
accelerate the color change (17). 
Before describing the species in use, I must emphasize the 
difficulty of giving exact identifications. In general, the 
taxonomy of dark-spored agarics leaves much to be desired. In 
particular, the species of Psilocybe do not separate easily. 
Some work has been done on the genus, but little of it pertains 
to the species of the Pacific Northwest (18). In the absence ofa 
definitive monograph for this region, all identifications should 
be regarded as tentative, including those stated with authority 
in some of the literature. 
IIT. 
One of the most desirable species in terms of hallucinogenic 
power and freedom from unwanted effects is a small Psilocybe 
that grows near the Pacific coast in the fall. Specimens which I 
collected in 1974 have been identified by Guzman as P. 
semilanceata (Fr.) Kummer, which 1s possibly synonymous 
with P. pelliculosa (Smith) Sing. & Smith, P. Cookei Sing., and 
P. semilanceata var. caerulescens Cooke (19). Psilocybe 
semilanceata is a European species, known in England and 
Wales as the ‘‘Pixie Cap’? or “‘Liberty Cap.’ Devotees in 
Oregon also call it the Liberty Cap. Several informants told me 
that the name indicates its resemblance to the Liberty Bell in 
Philadelphia, but, in fact, it derives from a French Revolution- 
ary emblem, the Cap of Liberty, which, in turn, comes from an 
ancient symbol, the Phrygian bonnet. Especially after drying, 
the mushroom resembles this peaked, conical hat with its point 
bent over. 
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