Golden Teacher is not a scientific name. GBIF’s list of common names for Psilocybe cubensis includes “Golden Teachers” (GBIF). In a 2025 study of 42 samples, one labelled Golden Teacher was classified as P. cubensis by ITS sequencing, at 99.73% identity (Cohen et al., 2025). That supports the link for that sample only.
A 2023 genome study compared 86 cultivar genomes and named one of five statistical groups Golden Teacher; it held 37 genomes, the largest group (McTaggart et al., 2023). The authors stress that cultivar pedigrees “exist in lore but are not authenticated”. A genome in the group is related to the others; that does not mean it descends from an original mushroom of that name.
The sources the journal checked name no first discoverer, first-use date or unbroken chain from one original specimen, and none tested what the name predicts about effects. A 2026 study of 14 named strains found total tryptamines varied more than 7.8-fold between them (Sharchaton et al., 2026), so no label works as a measurement.
Sources
- GBIF vernacular names for Psilocybe cubensis
- Cohen et al., 2025, Scientific Reports (PMC)
- McTaggart et al., 2023, Current Biology
Last checked .