The increasingly popular world of psychedelics now has two new members in it. Researchers in South Africa have discovered two new species of psychedelic mushrooms which belong to the genus Psilocybe — known for producing the popular, mind-altering compound psilocybin. According to the findings in the journal Mycologia, the discovery is shedding light on the traditional use of these mushrooms by indigenous healers in this part of the world.
The newly identified species, Psilocybe ingeli and Psilocybe maluti, were unearthed in South Africa and Lesotho, respectively. P. ingeli, discovered in the KwaZulu-Natal province, grows on grass enriched with cow dung. Its name comes from the nearby Ingeli mountain range.
Maluti, found in both South Africa’s Free State province and the Kingdom of Lesotho, also grows on cow manure. It’s named after the Maluti Mountains that stretch across the region.
What makes P. maluti particularly intriguing is its unique “secotioid” structure. Unlike typical mushrooms with open caps that release spores into the air, P. maluti’s cap remains closed even when mature. This unusual feature affects how the mushroom spreads its spores, likely relying on animals to disperse them.
The discovery of P. maluti has also uncovered a fascinating cultural connection. Traditional healers in Lesotho, known as “lingaka,” have been using these mushrooms in spiritual practices. They combine P. maluti with a plant called Boophone disticha to create a brew that induces hallucinations. This mixture, called “seipone sa koae-ea-lekhoaba,” is used in rituals where patients describe their visions to healers, who then interpret them.
This is a significant discovery because it represents one of the first documented cases of hallucinogenic mushroom use in traditional African medicine. While the use of psychedelic mushrooms has been well-documented in places like Mexico, evidence of their traditional use in Africa has been scarce until now.
“These two species were sent to me by citizen scientists. It would be impossible for a single researcher to cover a fraction of an area these mushroom enthusiasts have access to. This is the only way we will be able to further studies in African mycology,” says researcher Breyten van der Merwe of Stellenbosch University in a media release.
“There are only a handful of mycologists in Africa documenting local biodiversity. Considering the vast mycological diversity on the continent, it is a daunting task. Collaborating with citizen mycologists is therefore hugely beneficial. In addition to more material, collaboration also opens avenues for conversation and exploration, which can lead to documenting mycophilia (the love of mushrooms) on the African continent,” adds Prof. Karin Jacobs in SU’s Department of Microbiology.
Van der Merwe and the team employed a combination of structural studies and DNA analysis to identify these new species. They examined the mushrooms’ physical characteristics under microscopes and sequenced specific regions of their DNA to compare them with known Psilocybe species.
Interestingly, the study also touches on the potential role of birds in spreading P. maluti spores. The indigenous name for this mushroom, “koae-ea-lekhoaba,” translates to “powdered tobacco of the crow,” suggesting a connection between the mushrooms and local bird species. This aligns with recent research indicating that birds may play a more significant role in fungal spore dispersal than previously thought.