Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
March 11, 2026
Alexander J. Bradshaw, Cathy Sharp, Breyten Van der Merwe et al.
2 citations
The psychedelic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis is cultivated worldwide for recreational and medicinal use. Described initially from Cuba in 1906, there has been substantial debate about its origin and diversification. The prevailing view is that P. cubensis was inadvertently introduced to the Americas when cattle were introduced to the continent from Africa and Europe (approx. 1500 CE), but that...
Phytotaxa
February 16, 2026
Paula Santos da Silva, Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Alexander J. Bradshaw et al.
Psilocybe is a well-known genus of fungi, commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms”, due to its production of psychoactive compounds. Research interest in this genus has experienced a resurgence due to its relevance as a potential therapy for a growing global mental health crisis. In this study, 62 specimens representing 10 species of Psilocybe from southern Brazil were examined using...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
January 2, 2026
Jason C. Slot, Alexander J. Bradshaw, Bryn T. M. Dentinger et al.
Abstract Production of the psychoactive compound psilocybin is a defining feature of the genus Psilocybe , commonly referred to as “psychedelic mushrooms”. However, Psilocybe fuscofulva is a striking exception within Psilocybe sensu stricto as it lacks the stereotypical blue bruising characteristic of the genus, and psilocybin has not been detected in the species.To investigate the evolutionary...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
January 9, 2024
Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Giuliana Furci, Alexander J. Bradshaw et al.
30 citations
Psychoactive mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe have immense cultural value and have been used for centuries in Mesoamerica. Despite the recent surge of interest in these mushrooms due to the psychotherapeutic potential of their natural alkaloid psilocybin, their phylogeny and taxonomy remain substantially incomplete. Moreover, the recent elucidation of the psilocybin biosynthetic gene cluster is...
bioRxiv
December 15, 2022
Alexander J. Bradshaw, Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Ali R. Awan et al.
5 citations
preprint
Abstract Psychoactive mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe have immense cultural value and have been used for centuries in Mesoamerica. Despite a recent surge in interest in these mushrooms due to emerging evidence that psilocybin, the main psychoactive compound, is a promising therapeutic for a variety of mental illnesses, their phylogeny and taxonomy remain substantially incomplete. Moreover, the...
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
November 29, 2022
Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Giuliana Furci, Paul Stamets et al.
29 citations
The therapeutic use of psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” is revolutionizing mental health care for a number of conditions, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and end-of-life care. This has spotlighted the current state of knowledge of psilocybin, including the organisms that endogenously produce it.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
July 25, 2018
Ali R. Awan, Jaclyn M. Winter, Daniel J. Turner et al.
26 citations
preprint
Abstract Psilocybin is a psychoactive compound with clinical applications produced by dozens of mushroom species 1 . There has been a longstanding interest in psilocybin research with regard to treatment for addiction 2 , depression 3 , and end-of-life suffering 4 . However, until recently very little was known about psilocybin biosynthesis and its ecological role. Here we confirm and refine...
Alexander J. Bradshaw, Cathy Sharp, Breyten Van der Merwe et al.
preprint
Abstract The “magic mushroom” Psilocybe cubensis is cultivated worldwide for recreational and medicinal uses. Described initially from Cuba in 1904, there has been substantial debate about its origin and diversification. The prevailing view, first proposed by the Psilocybe expert Gastón Guzmán in 1983, is that P. cubensis was inadvertently introduced to the Americas when cattle were introduced...