Fungi Fact: Two Types Of Magic Mushrooms Grow Wild In Wyoming

Voters in Denver will decide the fate of Initiated Ordinance 301 today, which would make the Mile High City the first to decriminalize the recreational use of psilocybin mushrooms. While hallucinogenic drugs remain illegal here in Wyoming, there are two types of magic mushrooms that grow wild in the Cowboy State.

Gymnopilus Junonius are large orange mushrooms that grow around trees, particularly maples. They are commonly found in wooded areas near rivers. Not every variety of Gymnopilus Junonius contains the active ingredient in psilocybin that causes euphoria and hallucinations, however. Mushrooms growing in the western part of the United States are typically less potent than in more humid areas on the east coast.

Panaeolus Cinctulus are brown mushrooms that grow in compost piles, fertilizer and "cow patties". They are the most commonly found mushroom in America, especially in the west. Of the hallucinogenic variety, it most closely resembles commercially grown mushrooms.

Psilocybin mushrooms were likely introduced to Wyoming in the early 18th century by the Cheyenne and Lakota tribes, both of whom were known to use hallucinogens during religious ceremonies.