Weraroa Pouch Fungi

[waylitjim]

Species - Weraroa novaezelandiae
Family - Strophariaceae (same Family as the genus Psilocybe)
Genus - Weraroa

Is the Weraroa Pouch Fungi active?
Yes, the pouch fungi contains active alkaloids and is non-toxic. No one knows for sure what the chemical make up is, more research needs to be done on this species. Like other active fungi, Weraroa novaezelandiae demonstrate a strong bluing reaction when cut or bruised.

Where can they be found?
Weraroa novaezelandiae have only been found in New Zealand. Generally found South of Wanganui in the North Island. They are also found in the south island, but I'm not sure of their distribution. Weraroa cucullata are found in swampy areas of California, tho it's not active.

Where did it come from?
The Weraroa genus is suspected of being derived from the Psilocybe genus. Many consider it to be the ancient ancestor to the Strophariaceae family. Like the rest of the family, it's a saprobic fungi. Saprobes derive their nutrition from nonliving organic material.

Do they drop spores?
Because they are pouch fungi, they dont drop spores as the gills remain enclosed in the body. They rely on insects to spread spores.

What's the trip like?
The trip comes on very quickly compared to other varieties. A sense of weirdness appears followed by slight giddiness and strange waves across the body. These shrooms tend to sink you into really weird thinking patterns. The trip is not very visual for most unless a larger dose is ingested. At higher doses, visual distortions are evident and walking can be very difficult. This mushroom can be really bizarre and intense, definately for the more experienced tripper and not for the faint at heart.

Here's some pics from Inski: (click to enlarge)





And a few macros: spores and cheilocystidia


Wet vs Dry Dry

Some pics from Zeewarp (Weraroa virescens)




Info an pics collected from Inski, Zeewarp, ShroomieDole, Gumby and FeralPsyStomper

[scotia]

Because they're only found in a certain parts of NZ, would be impossible to cultivate em at home if you had the spores, jim? They look nice...

[waylitjim]

As far as I know, there haven't been any cultivation attempts. It's only a matter of time before someone like Workman has a go at this species. I'm guessing cultivation would be similar to that of Psilocybe semilanceata, a challenge but not impossible. Both share similar habitat preferences. P. semilanceata usually fruits from decaying grass remains. While the Weraroa Pouch Fungi has been found fruiting on rotted cabbage tree, it's often associated with decaying fern fronds. The caps of P. semilanceata do share a slight resemblance to the Pouch Fungi.

Psilocybe semilanceata

[beardedlady]

How peculiar. It looks like a little fruit, I bet it's delicious. I wish I could try these. Thanks for the info!

[~freakachino]

Thats why I Mycotopia!

I learn something everyday!

Waylit, thanks for not only the pictures, but the good info on this species.

[waylitjim]

How peculiar. It looks like a little fruit, I bet it's delicious.

Yummy!

[beardedlady]

Well, maybe it doesn't look so appetizing in those pictures. Those look like little dead grubs or something. Lion King!

[scotia]

As far as I know, there haven't been any cultivation attempts. It's only a matter of time before someone like Workman has a go at this species. I'm guessing cultivation would be similar to that of Psilocybe semilanceata, a challenge but not impossible. Both share similar habitat preferences. P. semilanceata usually fruits from decaying grass remains. While the Weraroa Pouch Fungi has been found fruiting on rotted cabbage tree, it's often associated with decaying fern fronds. The caps of P. semilanceata do share a slight resemblance to the Pouch Fungi.

Psilocybe semilanceata

they look like sweet , and/or lotus bulbs!
As, I presume, they like to grow on rotting vegetation, do you think they could germinate on some kind of (not contam. but) rotting (the right kind, based on trial and error) variation of cake?

I can see some kind of rotting sub. tek evolving here.

[golly]

That's a strange one Jim ...It makes me wonder if the perfect hallucinogenic fungus has yet to be identified....Great post man...

[SquaresandCubes]

Does anyone know how many hallucenogenic mushrooms are out there?
Before I found this place I just knew of cubies and amanitas.

[alpiner]

Send out some spore samples to a few of the folks around here that seem to be able to make magic happen like Rodger and workman.
hah, that would be cool if someone got some samples and could grow the buggers
has no one ever done any chemical analisis on these?
it seems most species that have active compounds have been tested by the pharmacorparations or by universities

[waylitjim]

I'm sure Workman already has a sample of Weraroa novaezelandiae. Sporeworks donates a percentage of their profits to the research and development of new species. It's only a matter of time.

[Bobcat]

yeah, I bet they would be extremely popular and a valuable asset to whoever offers them if it ever happens.

[waylitjim]

Does anyone know how many psychoactive mushrooms are out there?

There's no exact numbers because new mushrooms are always discoverd. But the common ones are Amanita muscaria, which contain the psychoactive chemicals ibotenic acid and muscimol. Then there's the genera Panaeolus consisiting of Panaeolus cyanescens, cambodginiensis, tropicalis and subbalteatus. You have the genus Gymnopilus which consists of a few mildly active species like Gymnopilus spectabilis and Gymnopilus purpuratus. Last but not least the geus Psilocybe. This genus goes far and wide, worldwide there's close to 100 different species in the Psilocybe genus, and the list is still growing.

As Paul Stamets once said, "Psilocybes have propelled themselves to the front lines of the evolutionary race precisely because of their psilocybin content. The production of psilocybin has proven to be a competitive evolutionary advantage. Psilocybin mushrooms carry with them a message from nature about the health of the planet. At a time of planetary crisis brought on by human abuse, the earth calls out thru these mushrooms-sacraments that lead directly to a deeper ecological consciousness, and motivate people to take action."

[waylitjim]

A few more pics of Weraroa novaezelandiae from Montmont



A nice collection from Stimulus


They seem to be a relatively rare species. One should think of conservation, esp considering they actually need to drop to the ground and rot to distribute spores. They don't grow in large patches.. tend to be metres apart and only 1 - 3 growing in each spot. Also in the same forest, they were easiest to find within a 400m radius, and practically none found beyond that. Found growing on rotting wood and are usually half buried under rotting leaves.

The pouch has a rubbery consistency and feels quite strong when cutting through it. the insides have brown gill-like structures and a stalk running through the middle up to the top of the pouch.

And a habitat pic from The Hidden Forest


pics and text from Stimulus, Montmont and The Hidden Forest

[SharkieJones]

Looks kind of like a rotten egg in the center. I'd like to try this weirdness for myself one day. Thanks for the pics.

[python]

great pics waylit..................totally interesting stuff...........

[Workman]

I'm sure Workman already has a sample of Weraroa novaezelandiae. Sporeworks donates a percentage of their profits to the research and development of new species. It's only a matter of time.

Hehe, right you are. I've been working on this species for awhile and so far things look very promising. The mycelium is very aggressive and I expect an outdoor patch in the PNW to produce something this Fall.

The mycelium also stains blues as it ages which is also a good sign. I still have to work out a method of spore distribution, if I am successful, since they don't produce sporeprints.

[SWIM]

I still have to work out a method of spore distribution, if I am successful, since they don't produce sporeprints.

How about injecting distilled water into the pouch and then sucking it back into the syringe?

[waylitjim]

Hehe, right you are. I've been working on this species for awhile and so far things look very promising. The mycelium is very aggressive and I expect an outdoor patch in the PNW to produce something this Fall.

Workman, what are your thoughts about a fruiting substrate for Weraroa novaezelandiae? They seem to share some similarities with P. semilanceata. Hopefully they're not mycorrhizal fungi.

I still have to work out a method of spore distribution since they don't produce sporeprints.

Slicing the pouch in half before printing might be a possiblity?

[waylitjim]

Like the rest of the family, it's a saprobic fungi.

Fungus, unlike plants and animals—obtain food by absorbing nutrients from an external source. Fungi lack chlorophyll, the green pigment that enables plants to make their own food. Consequently, fungi cannot synthesize their own food the way plants do. In order to feed, fungi release digestive enzymes that break down food outside their bodies. The fungus then absorbs the dissolved food through its cell walls. Since they depend on outside sources for food, fungi have developed various living arrangements that enhance their opportunities for food absorption.

Most fungi are saprobes. A saprobe is an organism that derives its nutrition from the dead remains of other organisms; a scavenger, if you will. Saprobic fungi usually live on dead vegetable matter (sticks, leaves, logs etc), as they are the only multi-celled organisms that can digest the structural proteins cellulose and lignin, the two major components of wood. Most yard and garden mushrooms are saprobes, as well as dung-loving mushrooms and mushrooms that decompose leaf or needle litter.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Fantastic thread, man. Great info.

Archive Material

[Workman]

Workman, what are your thoughts about a fruiting substrate for Weraroa novaezelandiae? They seem to share some similarities with P. semilanceata. Hopefully they're not mycorrhizal fungi.
Slicing the pouch in half before printing might be a possiblity?

It is extremely unlikley it is mycorrhizal and the mycelium is much more aggressive than semilanceata. It produces a strandy mycelium that is similar to some of the woodlovers and it prefers a woody substrate. Like Psilocybe azurescens, this species may be a reluctant fruiter indoors but it also may thrive in outdoor beds.

I won't know what method to use to get the spores out until I have some fresh specimens to work with. Syringes probably won't be a problem, but prints are going to require some experiments.

The first post in this thread is excellent. A concise collection of pretty much everything known so far about this species. Good work Waylitjim!

[srgtm1a]

Very interesting thread.....If I found something like that, I would think it was some kind of weird fruit. One of the most interesting fungi I have ever seen. This is up there on my list of wicked looking fungus. My favorite prior to this was Dictyophora Indusiata.

Thanx for sharing this waylitjim! Excellent pics and very informative.

[Workman]

I was going to add something to this post but now its in the vault
http://mycotopia.net/forums/showthre...hlight=weraroa
I'll add some images and more detail here in the next few days. I didn't expect the site to be up today.

I have been successful in cultivating the NZ pouch fungus outdoors in the PNW.

Hallucinogenic New Zealand Weraroa species (possibly Weraroa novaezelandiae) on woodchips and douglas fir cones. Relatively easy to grow outdoors using the same outdoor methods used for Psilocybe azurescens and P. cyanescens. The mycelium is very aggressive and stains blue with age or damage.

Isolation from material provided by Reverend Jim Jones. Collected in Wilton's Bush Botanical Gardens near Wellington, New Zealand.

The fruits are very strange, something you can't appreciate until you have one in hand. The outside is like cartilage and somewhat difficult to cut.
The cut flesh blues slowly but nicely.
I am currently drying a split specimen slowly to allow as many spores as possible to mature. I then plan to gently crush the dry specimen and wash and strain out the spore water which will then be centrifuged -washed - centrifuged again. Then spore samples can be placed on foil to dry, tested for germination and then distribution (I hope).
(some of zeewerp's pictures in the previous post are actually of Weraroa virescens, an inactive species)

[dial8]

Very nice workman! Can you give us some information on how you got to the point in the picture. How did you germinate the spores you were working with initially, what did you use as the fruiting sub, temps, etc. Were you working with a spore print or did you use dry tissue?

[waylitjim]

Yeah, no problem Workman...post in this thread then we'll merge the two.

Btw, thanks for the heads up on Zeewarps Weraroa virescens. I'll edit that.

[Workman]

thanks for the heads up on Zeewarps Weraroa virescens

No problem, I noticed it when I was reviewing all of the information regarding this species. He even mentions that he may have had a mixed collection and some of his specimens didn't stain blue. The elongated shape of the W. virescens is also somewhat distinctive.

Spores were extracted from a dried specimen and started on agar. I experimented with grass seed and several mixtures of horse manure, partially decayed fir cones and alder chips. Success was on partially decayed douglas fir cones with some wood chips and a small amount of manure (which is probably not neccessary). The first of 3 fruits (so far), developed directly on the cones. Fruiting temperatures were low 60's to mid 50's.

Judging by the aggressive nature of the mycelium, I am hopeful that pending indoor experiments will be successful. It at least seems easier to induce fruiting than Psilocybe azurescens and P. cyanescens.

[Bobcat]

That's the cats ass Workman! Its so exciting to not only see something new but totally different as well! Good luck on your indoor endeavors!

So are you thinking conifer material, if not cones themselves, are beneficial to the extent of necessity? I realize it is still early in your trials, of course.

Oh, and

[Workman]

I don't think the cones are necessary. I do think the spongy nature of the partially decayed (sterilized) cones provides a moisture reservoir that supports fruitings in less than ideal conditions.

[Lazlo]

Now that's an excellent, alien like photograph if I say so myself. Great work.

[Workman]

Hehe, kinda like an alien autopsy. The skull-like outer rind with brain-like folds inside, gross.

[waylitjim]

Wow, nice photos Workman!
Indoor pouch fungi would be really far out!

Here's another pic to add to the thread.
Not sure who the credit goes to, but these are wild harvested.

[bluehelix]

Bizarre! I wonder if these are potent.

[Workman]

From what I have read, it seems to be similar to other temperate woodlovers, which means its fairly potent on average. I am hoping to send some specimens in for alkaloid measurements to confirm.

[Bobcat]

What's the trip like?

The trip comes on very quickly compared to other varieties. A sense of weirdness appears followed by slight giddiness and strange waves across the body. These shrooms tend to sink you into really weird thinking patterns. The trip is not very visual for most unless a larger dose is ingested. At higher doses, visual distortions are evident and walking can be very difficult. This mushroom can be really bizarre and intense, definately for the more experienced tripper and not for the faint at heart.

http://mycotopia.net/forums/showthre...hlight=weraroa

[bluehelix]

At any rate they look like a trip for sure. I would be scared of such a thing had I found it outside. It's hard to believe the spores are properly dispersed considering they shape.

[SharkieJones]

This is a very interesting thread Workman I will be waiting for the results. Can't wait until the spores are available.

[Bobcat]

I believe the other thread also covers spore dispersal. The fungus falls to the ground and rots and the spores are dispersed by those willing to eat it and crawl through it.

[Workman]

Test image for Weraroa microscopy.

[Bobcat]

Looks pretty slick Workman! Hey, does this mean that your preparing for...... !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Workman]

I am hopeful, but I am currently just refining my microscopy skills. I am initially working up just the fresh material. I then need to work on my significant backlog of dried specimens.

In other "exclusive to this forum" news:

It looks like a good crop of Psilocybe arcana is coming along. I'll take pictures this weekend and do a post on that species.

The red spored Australian Panaeolus cyanescens (RDU) is due to be released next week and will be accompanied with a similar photo workup.

[waylitjim]

Nice job with the Weraroa! I'm looking forward to this one being released.

P. arcana eh? Not much info out there on this one. Guessing it's a cousin to P. cyanescens,
perhaps similar to P. serbica. Can't wait to see your pics!

Red spored Aussi Pan too, wow....Blue Helix will be proud. I'm happy to have come up with a name that stuck (RDU) Red Down Under.

[Bobcat]

Any updates on the progress of this one, Workman?

It would be interesting to study the potential expansion / naturalization of this specie. Would it take off? Are there bugs outside of its natural area that would really get down on it and then appropriately spread the spores?

[Workman]

Oh sure. Working on the spore extraction now. The spores are not as abundant as I was hoping but I think I can squeeze out a few dozen syringes. I currently writing the descriptive page and that should be up next week or so, even if the syringes fail.
I need to do some indoor cultivation attempts but the microscopy work on other species is distracting me.
One other note: There is something very repulsive about the fresh pouches when you consider eating one. It is like an instinct that you really shouldn't put this bloated tick-like, blue-grey blob into your mouth. They look much nicer dried. I can't wait until the next Fall season.

Slugs are a big problem with this species and measures need to be taken to prevent them from taking large bites from the pouches.

[Bobcat]

One other note: There is something very repulsive about the fresh pouches when you consider eating one. It is like an instinct that you really shouldn't put this bloated tick-like, blue-grey blob into your mouth. They look much nicer dried. I can't wait until the next Fall season.

Nice.

A few dozen, eh? DIBS ON ONE!

[{Mr}fLoYd]

I dont mean to be an ass kisser by any means but does WLJ have his own section in the vaults yet for strain summaries? between growth peramiters and substrate details he should with all the info on mushroom growth in general he provides ( and discussions he starts) here.

[ANON]

Interesting. What are the legal status of these mushrooms?

[waylitjim]

Many suspect that Weraroa contain psilocybin,
though I'm not sure a proper lab analysis has been done yet.
(Gas Chromatography or Thin Layer Chromatography)
The bluing seems to point to decent levels of psilocin present.
One thing is for sure, they'd be a weird one to get caught with.
Officer, I swear it's a tick!

[josephs coat]

those are so awesome. has anyone started distributing the spores yet?