Inocybe is a large genus of mushroom-forming fungi. GBIF listed 1,168 accepted species on 25 October 2026 (GBIF). Most are known for muscarine, a toxin that can cause muscarinic poisoning (Graeme, 2014). A 2021 review reports that the genus contains muscarine, psilocybin and psilocin (Patocka et al., 2021).
Psilocybin is the exception. A 2013 review found it reported in only five European species, all lacking muscarine, such as Inocybe aeruginascens; the paper’s own introduction names six (Kosentka et al., 2013). Inocybe is the only ectomycorrhizal genus with psilocybin reports, meaning its species live in partnership with tree roots.
Reports can be withdrawn. Inocybe calamistrata was once said to contain psilocybin; later studies found none and called the original method prone to false positives (Kosentka et al., 2013). That species is now Inosperma calamistratum, after Inocybe was split in 2019 (Species Fungorum). Because most of the genus is toxic, its name is a warning, not a lead.
Sources
- GBIF species API: Inocybe
- Kosentka et al., 2013, PLoS One
- Patocka et al., 2021, International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Graeme, 2014, Journal of Medical Toxicology
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