Top Ten Mushroom Spores by InoculateTheWorld

We are excited to announce the release of the *Psilocybin Mushroom Handbook
– 2nd Edition*, a must-have book that we are proud to have collaborated on.
Our team at *Inoculate The World* worked closely with the book’s project
director Jane Klein to bring this project to life, and we are so excited
about the result. This book details everything you need to know about
cultivating magic mushrooms, expanding on the classic* Psilocybin: A Magic
Mushroom Growers Guide*, written by O. T. Oss, and O. N. Oeric (pseudonyms
used by the McKenna brothers) in 1976. With great appreciation for this
original work, and the many ways it has stood the test of time, this new
book builds on the foundational ideas presented by the McKenna’s with newer
methods as times have changed.

This new book is written for an era in which the legal landscape and
cultural attitudes around psychedelics have changed significantly. The
mycology community grew substantially as a result of the original book from
1976, which has led to the isolation of far more strains of Psilocybe
cubensis. Many mycologists take particular interest in landrace strains as
a way to isolate different forms of genetic diversity, which is a focal
point of this new volume. To introduce this new book and give our readers a
taste of what to expect, we wanted to discuss the origin stories of some of
the most fascinating mushroom spores.
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*Tosohatchee Cubensis*

Tosohatchee Mushroom in its natural element

Originally discovered by ITW’s founder, Drew, Tosohatchee Cubensis has
quickly become a signature strain for Inoculate The World. In many ways,
Tosohatchee looks like a typical cubensis, albeit larger than many other
strains found in the wild. What sets it apart is its potency as well as its
unique story.

The strain’s discovery was the result of Drew’s specific foraging strategy,
which prescribed following the path of cattle egrets in the area to
discover mushrooms. Because cubensis mushrooms are part of egrets’ diets,
spores are spread through egret droppings, allowing the mushrooms to
proliferate wherever egrets are present. The spore prints from this initial
find of cubensis mushrooms from the fields of central Florida began the
lineage of the Tosohatchee strain we know today, which is also available as
an isolated syringe. Since its isolation, mycologists have found
Tosohatchee to be one of the strongest cubensis strains around.

Cultivated specimen of Tosohatchee Mushroom, demonstrating successful
domestication under controlled conditions.
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*Penis Envy (**Psilocybe cubensis)*

Cultivated specimen of *Psilocybe cubensis* ‘Penis Envy’—noted for its
distinct morphology and elevated psilocybin concentrations under controlled
growth conditions

Penis Envy is one of the most well-known cubensis mushroom strains. PE’s
unique characteristics, such as its thick stem (and small cap relative to
its stem) make it something of a mutant in the mushroom world. With such a
small cap, it doesn’t naturally drop many spores, making it challenging to
gather spores at all from Penis Envy mushrooms. This also means the strain
couldn’t exist and reproduce normally in the wild. Indeed, PE’s unique
traits were specifically bred, and couldn’t have come about without human
intervention.

PE’s lineage is mostly legend, but over the years, community historians
like Hamilton Morris and Mushroom John have summarized its fragmented
history. It’s thought that Penis Envy originated from a cubensis mushroom
collected by Terrence Mckenna in the Amazon Rainforest. Using a growing
medium of manure compost, mycologist Rich Gee took these original genetics
and selected for ‘blueing’ to estimate the mushrooms’ psilocin content.
Rich Gee states that the PE mushroom “is born of bad genetics” meaning that
only a genetically ‘sick’ mushroom can grow with the mutations like PE has.
However, it’s these genetic abnormalities that make Penis Envy such a
unique and rewarding species to work with.

Fruiting of *Psilocybe cubensis* ‘Penis Envy’ underway.
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Koh Samui (*Psilocybe *cubensis*)*

Koh Samui (*Psilocybe *cubensis*)*

Koh Samui is named for the island where it was discovered, located in the
Gulf of Thailand, east of the Malay Peninsula. It was originally discovered
by John Allen, a prominent ethnomycologist, who travelled extensively to
discover new species and strains of psilocybin mushrooms.

Fruiting bodies of Koh Samui (*Psilocybe *cubensis*)* in domesticated
cultivation
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*Dominican Republic (**Dominican Republic Cubensis**)*

This landrace cubensis strain was found deep in Parque Nacional El Choco in
Cabartee, Dominican Republic.

Dominican Republic Cubensis is an ITW original, first discovered in Parque
Nacional El Choco in Cabartee on the Northern coast of the Dominican
Republic. This strain can grow large, with wide golden caps and thick
stems. Because it was discovered only recently in early 2024, it hasn’t
gained as much widespread recognition as other more established strains.
Still, it’s one of our favorites, and landrace strains like this one always
have something unique to offer to genetic research. Our Dominican Republic
Cubensis Spore Syringe or Spore Print are the best ways to research the
unique phenotypes of this strain

Dominican Republic Cubensis domesticated.
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*APE (Albino Penis Envy)*

Dried APE fruiting bodies.

Albino Penis Envy, also known as APE, is the result of meticulous genetic
work by John Workman. When Workman found spores from some PF Albino
mushrooms, he crossed these genetics with Penis Envy, and selectively bred
the results for many generations until it became the APE we all know and
love today. Because it’s an albino strain, APE produces clear spores, but
these genetics are still available in a spore swab. APE is extremely
popular for its unique blue-grey color, thick stem, and remarkable size.

APE fruiting bodies.
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*Golden Teacher*

Another one of the most famous magic mushroom strains is Golden Teacher.
This beloved strain can be a lighter golden-brown compared to the more
common brown cubensis color. Its origins are a subject of debate, and some
people say it was first named and discovered by Steven Pollock in the
1980s, and originates from the Gulf Coast region of Florida. Others say it
was originally found growing out of a pile of straw and dung in Georgia.
With so much conflicting lore circulating, it’s hard to pinpoint Golden
Teacher’s exact history, but we do know that it has been a favorite in the
mycology community since its discovery. We offer these genetics in spore
print form, and as an isolated syringe in addition to the regular Golden
Teacher Spore Syringe.
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If you want to see what’s next, you’ll have to order *Psilocybin Mushroom
Handbook*. You’ll learn even more about the psilocybin mushroom strains, as
well as gain useful knowledge of the mushroom life cycle and tips for
growing.