Florida Student Discovers Mysterious ‘Dark Magic’ Mushroom

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – “Magic mushrooms” are widely associated with psychedelic compounds, while poisonous mushrooms are known for toxins capable of causing death.

Now, a new study from Florida researchers has identified a rare mushroom that appears to contain both types of compounds.

In a news release, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences said its researchers had documented the mushroom for the first time.

WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF MUSHROOMS?

Magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, a naturally occurring controlled substance capable of producing psychedelic effects.

Deadly mushrooms, by contrast, may contain amatoxins, compounds linked to fatal mushroom poisonings.

“The team was interested in the genus Galerina to see if there were other species of mushrooms in Florida that contain amatoxins, which had not been documented,” the release stated.

THE “DARK MAGIC MUSHROOM”

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While he was an undergraduate student, Andrew Kunik reportedly came across a tiny, unusual mushroom as he documented fungi at a UF/IFAS laboratory.

The small brown specimen belonged to the Galerina genus, which includes species already known to contain dangerous amatoxins.

Researchers also noticed that the mushroom turned blue when handled, a characteristic associated with some psychedelic mushroom species.

Further analysis showed that the mushroom, now nicknamed the “dark magic mushroom,” contained compounds associated with both psychedelic and poisonous mushrooms.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

UF/IFAS researchers said the discovery could help scientists better understand why mushrooms produce amatoxins or psilocybin, and how those compounds may benefit the fungi.

“We still don’t fully understand why mushrooms produce psilocybin,” Kunik said. “Amatoxins may help protect mushrooms from animals that eat them, but their precise ecological role isn’t entirely clear, either. That’s what makes the discovery of the ‘dark magic mushroom’ so interesting. Why would a mushroom produce both of these compounds, and what advantage might that give it in nature?”