Genus at a glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Classification | Genus |
| Family | Bolbitiaceae |
| Described species | ~100 (a few psychoactive — and at least one deadly) |
| Spore print | Rusty brown |
| Distribution | Temperate Northern Hemisphere |
| Habitat | Lawns, mossy ground, wood debris, rich soil |
| Key alkaloids | Psilocybin/psilocin (a few species); amatoxins (others) |
Overview
Pholiotina is a small genus split from Conocybe, and it carries one of the starkest safety lessons in the whole index. A few species — most notably Pholiotina cyanopus — produce psilocybin, while a close relative, Pholiotina rugosa (Conocybe filaris), contains amatoxins, the same lethal liver toxins as the death cap Amanita phalloides. The two can grow in the same lawns and look broadly similar to a non-specialist.
The psychoactive species are small, often bluing at the stem base, and bound to mossy or grassy ground. As with Conocybe, the taxonomy has been repeatedly revised, so the names attached to psilocybin reports have changed over time.
Documented species
| Species | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| P. cyanopus | Best-documented producer; bluing stem base | N. temperate |
| P. smithii | Reported psilocybin content; bog and moss habitats | N. America |
| P. rugosa | NOT psychoactive — deadly amatoxins; listed for contrast | N. temperate |
Under-documented & emerging
Because Pholiotina was carved out of Conocybe relatively recently, much of the older chemical literature is filed under other names, and the genus is poorly sampled. The number of genuine psilocybin producers is small and uncertain, and the presence of a deadly look-alike in the same genus makes it one of the highest-risk groups for accidental poisoning.
How to read this
Educational profile only — and an urgent caution. A lethal amatoxin producer sits inside this genus, alongside the psilocybin species. Field identification here is a matter of life and death and demands expert mycology.