Author: Charles Frank

The Complete Guide to Liberty Cap Mushrooms

It is as simple as leaving the shrooms you’ve collected on a piece of paper for a day or two. The only way this species can be obtained is by putting in the leg work and finding areas where they grow naturally in the wild and then correctly storing them. To learn more about other types of mushrooms and get the latest news and discoveries, keep up with us on shroomer.

There’s also no problem in picking some of the smaller ones, but leave “pins” (small shrooms) and one or two slightly larger little shrooms. This ensures that a mushroom or two will reach full maturity and sporulate. They have thin stems that fracture easily, and the cap can be cleanly removed from the stem with very little effort.

Over the years, awareness of liberty caps has increased with more people interested in Roman antiquity. Dutch coins dating back to 1577 feature the Dutch national emblem, a liberty cap. Whilst William of Orange has been seen as the champion of English liberties and Protestantism, not everything he did or said is admirable.

History of Magic Mushrooms

Data suggests that this species could contain higher levels of psilocybin than any strain of cubensis. If you want to learn more, read our article about drying and storing magic mushrooms and some ways these small caps can be prepared for consumption. When you dry these shrooms, they shrivel to a minuscule size, meaning you need to collect a reasonable amount for an intense trip. However, it’s possible to find a lot at one time, providing you know where to look. The effort is worth it since the psychedelic effects can be far more intense than Psilocybe cubensis. Make sure you remember to bring some sort of knife (really, any knife that cuts well, don’t overthink it).

Beginning in the 19th century, this humble little mushroom was starting to be identified by its common name, the liberty cap. Mordecai Cooke’s 1871 handbook referred to this mushroom as the “cap of liberty,” which can be tied to the cap worn by freed Roman enslaved people. It is named for the ancient region of Phrygia, located in modern-day Turkey (2). Remember, if you choose to microdose magic mushrooms of any kind, make sure you do so in a controlled environment the first few times to see how your body reacts. In a paper titled “Occurrence and Use of Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Containing Psilocybin Alkaloids,” the potency tests of several samples of Psilocybe semilanceata are displayed.

1. They have thin stems that fracture easily, and the cap can be cleanly removed from the stem with very little effort.
2. The mushroom grows in grassland habitats, especially wetter areas.
3. If you are not sure what a psychedelic-inducing mushroom looks like, then you probably shouldn’t traipse through the woods randomly picking mushrooms.
4. The whole drying process should be completed within 48 hours.

You will find everything you need to know about these fascinating capped friends of the woods. Liberty caps are one of the most fascinating, mysterious, and beautiful fungi. These brownish-yellow capped mushrooms grow in cool, humid areas in autumn mainly from September to October.

Are there any negative side effects from ingesting Liberty Caps?

Many variables can affect what kind of experience you’ll have, such as your weight, age, the amount you use, how much you’ve eaten that day, and your personality. In general, expect to feel the effects within 30 minutes, which can last anywhere from 3-6 hours (4). This isn’t the case in other European countries, but it’s illegal to pick with the intent of consumption in most places.

If a cap is more like an umbrella than a cone, it’s not a liberty cap. The surface is a bit shiny or oily as well as translucent, so you can see the vertical lines of the gills through the cap. They are responsible for the first documented psychedelic trip in England, when, in 1799,  a family ate some libs they had picked in London’s St. James’s Green Park. An account of their experience is published in the London Medical and Physical Journal and can be read here. Psilocybe semilanceata usually grows on cow dung and grasslands, meadows, lawns, and fields.

As the sun dries the cap, it transforms from the top and spreads downwards, becoming  opaque and cream coloured. The gills are no longer visible except round the rim of the cap where dark gills can just be seen. Liberty Caps are not dangerous when consumed in small amounts and do not cause serious side effects. However, they may cause mild symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if consumed in large quantities. These are mainly found in Western Europe, most notably the Netherlands. The mushroom, Psilocybe Fimetaria, has a blue base, unlike the Psilocybe semilanceata.

Microdosing Capsules & Chocolate Bars

The one factor that stays the same from shroom to shroom is the distinct nipple on the top of the cap. However, this can become less prominent in older mushrooms that have sporulated. Once you find one, you’ll never mistake another species for it again. However, when you first start searching for this shroom, it’s easy to misidentify. Luckily, some pretty fool-proof ways to identify Psilocybe semilanceata will ensure you don’t pluck the wrong cap.

They don’t grow on cow or sheep dung, but are common in areas where livestock may roam. While quite potent, as they are quite small – and shrink even further when dried – you need to pick a lot if you want to have a full dose (2-3.5g dried). This mushroom is not poisonous, but it is not recommended to eat. It contains psilocybin, which can cause hallucinations in large quantities. The coins he minted after Caesar’s murder announced to the world that he had played an integral, if not decisive, role in the opposition against Rome’s Dictator. The coin also includes two daggers and a distinctive liberty cap.

You’ll maximise your luck by going out the day after a night of light rain. You may even want to check the same locations more than once as mushrooms can spring up overnight. They generally appear alone or in small clusters on rich soil in pastures, meadows and parkland.

Can You Microdose Liberty Cap Mushrooms?

Although the name Liberty Cap is appropriate for the Psilocybe semilanceata species because of the “liberative states of mind” the shroom can induce, it may have deeper origins. After Psilocybe cubensis, this shroom strain is perhaps one of the most famous and well-known Psilocybe species on the planet and most definitely in Europe. The common name is, of course, the Liberty Cap, but they’re also known as Witches Hats, Wizard Caps, Snow Caps, Blue Legs, and Pixie Caps. Before you go skipping off into your nearest patch of dung-infested wet lawns, knowing when Liberty Caps should be harvested is equally important as knowing where to find them. Just like any fruiting plant or agricultural crop, Liberty Caps have a defined growing season.

Take pictures of the mushrooms to show to others to help identify the species. Foraging for mushrooms is not that difficult, provided you know where to look and what you’re searching for. Semilanceata lookalikes can easily mix up a harmless mushroom with one with deadly toxins; this can have disastrous consequences, such as death. Below you can see the most common Magic Mushrooms of the Psilocybe Semilanceata family.