The genus Psilocybe in Italy

By

Venturella, Giuseppe
Rollini, Manuela
Mirabile, Giulia
Favia, Nicola
Gargano, Maria Letizia

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-12-22

Original Publication

Neotropical Biology and Conservation

Volume

20

Pages

167--181

Subjects

Basidiomycetes , Habitat , Hymenogastraceae , Italy , Psilocybin fungi , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Brazil Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/italianbotanist.20.181001

 

Abstract

<br> In the absence of specific studies on the<br> Psilocybe<br> genus in Italy, we provide information on the taxonomy, habitat, ecology, and distribution of the nine taxa currently recorded for Italy. A nomenclatural update of<br> Psilocybe<br> taxa reported in the Checklist of Italian Fungi (Basidiomycetes), published in 2005, is provided and seven scientific binomials are confirmed. In addition,<br> P. medullosa<br> and<br> P. serbica<br> , recently found in Trentino-Alto Adige/ Südtirol and Calabria respectively, are added to the list of taxa of the genus<br> Psilocybe<br> in Italy. Data on distribution and ecological categories of each taxon are also reported together with a molecular analysis. Considering how easily<br> Psilocybe<br> species can be found in Italy and their psilocybin and psilocin content, the authors hope that Italy will also legalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms in clinical therapies, as already permitted in many other countries.<br>