Landslide Mushroom vs Golden Teacher
Psilocybe caerulescens compared with Psilocybe cubensis — how to tell them apart in the field.
This is a dangerous confusion.
At least one of these species is toxic. Never eat a wild mushroom based on a photo comparison alone — verify with local experts.
Landslide Mushroom / Derrumbe
Psilocybe caerulescens
ToxicPsychoactive
Golden Teacher / Magic Mushroom
Psilocybe cubensis
ToxicPsychoactive
How to Tell Them Apart
Larger, golden-brown mushroom that grows on dung in lowland tropical pastures, not on bare montane soil. Lacks the silvery-blue metallic sheen of P. caerulescens.
Side-by-Side Identification
| Trait | Landslide Mushroom | Golden Teacher |
|---|---|---|
| Cap | 2-6 cm across. Convex to broadly convex, sometimes with a low umbo. Silvery-blue to olive-brown with a distinctive metallic or greasy sheen when fresh. Hygrophanous — dries to pale straw or beige. Surface smooth, sometimes with a slight gelatinous feel. | 2-8 cm across. Convex when young, flattening with age, often with a slight central bump (umbo). Golden-brown to pale yellowish when dry, darker caramel-brown when wet. Surface is smooth and slightly sticky. Bruises blue when damaged — this is the key tell for psilocybin content. |
| Gills | Adnate to slightly sinuate, close to moderately spaced. Grayish when young, becoming dark purple-brown with maturity. Edges often lighter or whitish. | Closely spaced, attached to the stem (adnate to adnexed). Start out pale gray, darken to deep purple-brown as spores mature. Edges may appear slightly lighter or mottled. |
| Stem | 4-10 cm tall, 3-7 mm thick. White to pale brownish, silky-fibrous. Equal or slightly enlarged at the base. Bruises strongly blue-green when handled. Partial veil leaves a faint fibrous zone. | 4-15 cm tall, 0.5-1.5 cm thick. White to off-white, often with a thin partial veil ring (annulus) that catches falling spores and turns purplish-black. Bruises blue when handled — a hallmark of psilocybin-containing species. Base may have whitish mycelial strands. |
| Spore print | Dark purple-brown to blackish-purple. | Dark purple-brown to nearly black. Always take a spore print when identifying — this rules out many lookalikes. |
| Bruising | Strong and rapid blue-green bruising on all parts when damaged. The cap surface often shows blue-green tones naturally, especially near the margin. | Distinctive blue-green bruising on cap and stem within minutes of handling or cutting. Caused by oxidation of psilocin. This is the single most important field identification feature. |
| Habitat | Disturbed, bare soil — landslide scars, road cuts, trail edges, stream banks, and exposed clay or muddy substrates. Often among mosses on freshly exposed earth. Subtropical to tropical montane forests at 500-1,700 meters elevation. | Coprophilic — grows directly on or near cattle and horse dung in tropical and subtropical pastures. Also found in well-manured grasslands and occasionally on enriched soils. Prefers warm, humid conditions with temperatures above 20C (68F). |
| Season | June through October during the rainy season. Peak fruiting in July and August after heavy rains expose and saturate soil. | Year-round in tropical regions. In subtropical areas like the U.S. Gulf Coast, primarily spring through fall after warm rains. Peak fruiting follows periods of heavy rainfall when temperatures are between 21-27C (70-80F). |
Found one of these in the wild? Don't rely on memory — identify it from a photo with Orangutany and check it against both species before you touch it.