Hallucinogenic fungi in the Republic of Macedonia

HALLUCINOGENIC FUNGI IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Mitko KARADELEV & Sofce SPASIKOVA

Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, P.O. Box 162, Gazi Baba bb, 1000 Skopje

ABSTRACT

Karadelev M. & Spasikova S.. (2004). Hallucinogenic fungi in the Republic of Macedonia. Proceedings of the 2nd
Congress of Ecologists of the Republic of Macedonia with International Participation, 25-29.10.2003, Ohrid.
Special issues of Macedonian Ecological Society, Vol. 6, Skopje.
According to the recent research into fungi biodiversity of R. Macedonia, 1,250 species have been registered. From
these fungi, 16 species show proved hallucinogenic effects. These species belong to the following genera: Psilo-
cybe, Amanita, Panaeolus, Elaphomyces, Claviceps, Gymnopilus, Pluteus, Stropharia and Mycena. In most of
them, these effects are due to the presence of hallucinogenic compounds such as psilocin, psilocybin, baeocystin and
nor-baeocystin.
Key words: hallucinogenic fungi, hallucinogenic effects, hallucinogenic compounds.

IZVOD

Karadelev M. i Spasikova S. (2004). Halucinogeni gabi vo Republika Makedonija. Zbornik

na trudovi od 2-ot Kongres na ekolozite na Makedonija so me|unarodno u~estvo, 25-29.10.2003,
Ohrid. Posebni izdanija na Makedonskoto ekolo{ko dru{tvo, Kn. 6, Skopje.
Vrz osnova na istra`uvawata na mikodiverzitetot vo Republika Makedonija dosega se reg-
istrirani 1250 vidovi na gabi. Od niv, 16 vidovi poka`uvaat halucinogeno dejstvo. Tie pripa|aat
na rodovite: Psilocybe, Amanita, Panaeolus, Elaphomyces, Claviceps, Gymnopilus, Pluteus, Stropharia i Myce-
na. Kaj pove}eto od niv ovie efekti se rezultat na prisustvoto na halucinogeni soedinenija, kako
psilocin, psilocibin, beocistin i nor-beocistin.
Klu~ni zborovi: halucinogeni gabi, halucinogeni efekti, halucinogeni soedinenija.

Introduction well as on enriched soil, infected plants, etc. The iden-

Lately, mycological investigations in the Republic
of Macedonia have been intensified. The register of
the hallucinogenic species in the Republic of Mace-
donia is created according to the published data from
the previous investigations (Tortich 1988, Karadelev
2000), the data- base MACFUNGI of the Mycologi-
cal laboratory at the Faculty of Natural Science in
Skopje, and from the field investigations of the au-
thors. The investigations were carried out on various
localities in the Republic of Macedonia, such as the
mountains: Osogovo, Kozuf, Kitka, Vodno, Jakupi-
ca, Sar Planina, Ograzden, the National Parks: Pelis-
ter, Mavrovo, and Galicica, and the area of the towns
and villages: Krusevo, Resen, Katlanovo, Skopje and
Gevgelija.
tification of the species was done either on the field
or in the mycological laboratory at the Faculty of Sci-
ence and Mathematics in Skopje, using microscopes
and reagents (Melzer, KOH, Sulphovaniline etc.).
Some of the collected fungi were preserved in the
National Mycological Collection (FUNGI MACE-
DONICI), while the data were put in the database
MACFUNGI.
For identification are used the following: Moser
(1983), Breitenbach & Kränzlin (1981, 1986, 1991,
1995, 2000), Paul Staments (1996), Däncke, R. M.
(2001), Krieglsteiner, G. J. (2000), Flammer (1980),
Flammer & Horak (1983), etc.
Results

Amanita muscaria (L.:Fr.) Hooker

Materials and methods
The material was collected in various kinds of for-
ests, associations and on mountain pastures, on soil
or on fallen branches, trunks, logs and living trees, as
- grows on soil in deciduous and coniferous forests,
from July to October.
Osogovo Mt.: Ponikva, Calamintho grandiflorae-Fag-
etum, 1500-1600; Krusevo: on the way to Children's

Proceedings of the 2nd Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia 479

Mitko KARADELEV & Sofce SPASIKOVA

resort, Festuco heterophyllae – Fagetum, 1300; Ko- Elaphomyces reticulatus Vittad.

zuf Mt.: Smrdliva voda, Calamintho grandiflorae-Fag-
etum, 1000, and Konjari, in mixed forest of Fagus
and Pinus nigra, 1100; Mavrovo: Fago-Abietetum
meridionale, 1400.
Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul
- This ascomycete species is a parasite on rye. It is
found in various rye plantations throughout R. Mace-
donia.
Elaphomyces granulatus Fr.
Jakupica Mt:. Ceples, Calamintho grandiflorae-Fag-
etum, 1300-1400, July 1999.
Kozuf Mt.: Smrdliva Voda, Festuco heterophyllae –
Fagetum, 800, October 1985; NP Galicica: Pljuska,
Quercetum frainetto-cerris macedonicum, 1000, Oc-
tober, 1991; NP Pelister: v. Brajcino, Quercetum
frainetto-cerris macedonicum, 1000, October 2002.
Gymnopilus spectabilis (Fr.) Sing
NP Mavrovo: Bunec, Calamintho grandiflorae-Fage-
tum, 1250, September 1998, on log of Fagus.
Mycena pura (Pers.) Kumm.
- grows on soil in deciduous and coniferous forests,
from July to October, from 500 to 1750 m a.

Tab.1. Hallucinogenic species and forest associations

Tab. 1. Halucinogeni gabi i nivnite {umski zaednici

Note: C.g.-F. - Calamintho grandiflorae-Fagetum

F.h. - F.- Festuco heterophyllae - Fagetum
P.n.& F. - mixed forest of Pinus nigra and Fagus
D.v.-P.p. - Digitali viridiflorae-Pinetum peuces
G.l.-P.p. - Gentiano luteae- Pinetum peuces
F., P.p. & Q. - mixed forest of Fagus, Pinus peuce and Quercus
B., Pop., P.p & A. - mixed forest of Betula, Populus, Pinus peuce and Abies
Q.-O.p. - Orno-Quercetum petraeae
Q.-Car.o.m. - Querco-Carpinetum orientalis macedonicum
Piceetum – Piceetum excelsae subalpinum scardicum
meadow - in meadow
P.n.,P.s.& F.- mixed forest of Fagus, Pinus sylvestris and P.nigra
Q.f.-c.m. - Quercetum frainetto-cerris macedonicum
Alnetum – Carici elongatae – Alnetum glutinosae
P.web.-J.ex. - Pruno webii-Junipiterum excelsae
J.c.& P.p.- pastured place with J.communis and P.peuce
Fag.-Abi. - Fago-Abietetum meridionale
Plant. of P.p. – Plantation of Fagus and P. nigra
Rye plant. – Rye plantation.

480 Zbornik na trudovi od 2-ot Kongres na ekolozite na Makedonija

 Hallucinogenic fungi in the Republic of Macedonia
NP Pelister:(ass. Digitali viridiflorae - Pinetum peu-
ces with Fagus): near Mala Korija, Caparska Prese-
ka, around Mt. house Kopanki, Palisnopje, Rotinska
river - lower part, around v. Trnovo, between Mt.
house Kopanki and Palisnopje; above Kopanki, (Gen-
tiano luteae - Pinetum peuces); above v. Magarevo,
near spring, (mixed forest of Fagus, Pinus peuce and
Quercus); Golema livada, (mixed forest of Betula,
Populus, Pinus peuce and Abies); Kozuf Mt.: Kon-
jari, (Fagus and Pinus nigra); Kitka Mt.: Preslap,
(Calamintho grandiflorae – Fagetum) and near
Preslap, (Orno-Quercetum petraeae); NP Mavrovo:
Bunec, (Calamintho grandiflorae-Fagetum); Vodno
Mt.: (Querco - carpinetum orientalis); Jakupica Mt.:
v. Gorno Vranovce, (Festuco heterophyllae – Fage-
tum), and Ceples, (Calamintho grandiflorae – Fage-
tum); Sar Planina Mt.: Jelak, (Piceetum excelsae sub-
alpinum scardicum).
Panaeolus papilionaceus (Bull.:Fr.) Quel.
Vodno Mt., 950 m a., May 2002, on enriched soil; NP
Pelister: around Kopanki, Digitali viridiflorae - Pin-
etum peuces, 1600, September 2002.
Panaeolus semiovatus Fr. (Lundell)
NP Pelister: around Kopanki, in meadow, 1650, Sep-
tember 2002, on dung.
Pluteus salicinus (Pers.: Fr.) Kummer
Ograzden Mt.: Ezovo Brdo, mixed forest of Fagus,
Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra, 1100-1300, July
2000, on rotten branches of Fagus; NP Galicica: Pl-
juska, Quercetum frainetto-cerris macedonicum,
1000, October 2001, on enriched soil; Jakupica
Mt.:Ceples, Calamintho grandiflorae – Fagetum, 1400
–1500, July 1999, on stump of Fagus sylvatica; Ko-
zuf Mt.: Konjari, Fagus and Pinus nigra, 1100, Octo-
ber 2000.
Psilocybe coprophylla (Bull.: Fr.) Quel.
Jakupica Mt.: v.Gorno Vranovce, Festuco heterophyl-
lae - Fagetum, 700-800, November 1998, on dung.
Psilocybe bullacea (Bull.: Fr.) Kumm
NP Pelister: v. Rotino, plantation of P.peuce, 1050,
April 2002, on fallen branch of Pinus peuce, and
around v. Trnovo, Festuco heterophyllae - Fagetum
with Populus tremula, 1200, September 2002, on
leaves reminants of Populus tremula; Prespa: Strict
Nature Reserve „Ezerani“, Carici elongatae – Alne-
tum glutinosae, April 2002, in meadow, close to Salix
purpurea.
Psilocybe montana (Fr.) Quelet
NP Pelister: between Mt. house Kopanki and Palis-
nopje, Digitali viridiflorae - Pinetum peuces, 1540 -
1640 m a., October 2001, on soil.
Psilocybe muscorum (Orton) Mos.
NP Pelister: above v. Slivnica, Quercetum frainetto –
cerris macedonicum, 1050, April 2002, in moss Rha-
comitrum.
Proceedings of the 2nd Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia
Psilocybe physaloides (Bull.: Merat) Quelet
Prespa: Strict Nature Reserve „Ezerani“, in mead-
ow, 850, April 2002, on soil.
Psilocybe subcoprophyla (Bull.:Fr.) Kumm
Katlanovo: St. Jovan Veterski monastery, Pruno we-
bii-Junipiterum excelsae, 150-200, October 2002, on
dung.
Stropharia coronilla (Bull.: Fr.) Quel.
NP Pelister: on the way to Molika Hotel, pastured
place with Juniperus communis and Pinus peuce,
1100, April 2002, in meadow. Vodno Mt.: Querco-
carpinetum orientalis, 750 – 1000, October 2002, on
soil; Gevgelija: v. Stojakovo, in meadow, 80, Decem-
ber 1993; Kozuf Mt.: Konjari, Fagus and Pinus ni-
gra, 1100, October 2000, on dung.
Disscucion
In the Republic of Macedonia, so far, 16 species of
hallucinogenic fungi have been registered. The most
frequent of these species are Mycena pura and Aman-
ita muscaria. The representatives of other genera such
as Pcilocybe, Panaeolus, Gymnopilus and Elapho-
myces are very seldom.
All these fungi were found growing on various sub-
strates. Usually, these fungi were found growing on
soil (Stropharia coronilla, Psilocybe physaloides,
Psilocybe montana, Mycena pura, Amanita muscar-
ia), on enriched soil (Stropharia coronilla, Psilocybe
bullacea, Pluteus salicinus, Panaeolus papiliona-
ceus), on dung (Stropharia coronilla, Psilocybe sub-
coprophyla, Psilocybe coprophylla, Panaeolus semi-
ovatus).
Certain species of these fungi are lignicolous, there-
fore they were registered growing on different kinds
of wood or wood debris: Psilocybe bullacea was found
growing on fallen branch of Pinus peuce and on leaves
reminants of Populus tremula; Pluteus salicinus was
found growing on rotten branches and on stump of
Fagus, while Gymnopilus spectabilis was found on
log of Fagus.
It is very interesting to notice that two registered spe-
cies were not found growing on any of the mentioned
substrares: Psilocybe muscorum was found in moss
Rhacomitrum, Elaphomyces granulatus and Gymno-
pilus reticulatus were only found under soil, while
Claviceps purpurea.
Tab. 1 shows the distribution of the registered spe-
cies in various associations.
The most significant characteristic of these fungi is
their chemical constitution. Once ingested, these fun-
gi cause certain syndromes and hallucinations. Due
to this effect, they are called hallucinogenic fungi.
Different fungi may contain different or common hal-
lucinogenic compounds.
481
Mitko KARADELEV & Sofce SPASIKOVA
The psilocin-psilocibin syndrome is caused with in-
gestion of fungi that belong to the genera Psilocybe,
Panaeolus, Stropharia, Inocybe, Gymnopilus, Plu-
teus and Inocybe. The compounds that cause this
syndrome are psilocin, psilocybin, baeocystin and
nor- baeocystin. All of these compounds are indolic
alkaloids and are very active. The symptoms are nau-
sea and/or vomiting, headaches, pupil dilatation and
hypothermia. Of course, certain visions and halluci-
nations may occur.
The muscarine syndrome is named after the poi-
sonous compound muscarine. The muscarine is found
in Amanita muscaria and Mycena pura. There are
also data that show that some Clitocybe and Cono-
cybe species contain certain amount of muscarine.
Still the compounds which cause the hallucinations
are the ibotenic acid and its derivatives: muscimol
which is the most active, and the muscazone which
is the least active. All of the mentioned compounds
are found in A. muscaria, while M. pura contains
only the muscarine. Therefore the hallucinogenic
effects of this species are questioned. The effects of
this syndrome can be sorted in three random phases:
in the first phase physical symptoms like nausea and
vomitus occur, in the second phase the narcotic ef-
fect predominates and in the third phase is followed
by visions, hallucinations, sensor disorder, ataxia and
other vestibular disorders.
The ergotism is a syndrome caused by ingestion of
Claviceps purpurea. The active compound of this
species is ergot. It is important to notice that C. pur-
purea is a source for compounds for the semi – syn-
thetic drug LSD. The effects caused by the ergot are
vomitus, diarrhea, hallucinations, and in more seri-
ous cases, gangrene may occur.
Conclusion
The so far registered hallucinogenic fungi in R.
Macedonia are 16 species. The hallucinogenic spe-
cies of fungi registered in Republic of Macedonia
belong to the following genera: Psilocybe (P. bulla-
cea, P. cyanescens, P. coprophyla, P.montana, P.
muscorum, P. physaloides), Panaeolus (P. papilion-
aceus, P. semiovatus), Elaphomyces (E. granulatus,
E. reticulatus), Amanita (A.muscaria), Claviceps
(C.purpurea), Gymnopilus (G.spectabilis), Pluteus
(P.salicinus), Stropharia (S.coronilla) and Mycena
(M.pura).
These fungi were found growing in various decidu-
ous, coniferous forests, in meadows, on enriched soil,
482 Zbornik na trudovi od 2-ot Kongres na ekolozite na Makedonija
on dung, on wood, etc. Due to the presence of cer-
tain hallucinogenic compounds, they cause three dif-
ferent syndroms: ergotism, psilocin-psilocibin and
muscarine syndrome. The hallucinogenic compounds
are ergot, psilocin, psilocibin, baeocistin, nor-baeo-
cystin, muscarine, muscimol, muscazone and ibotenic
acid.
References
Breitenbach, J., Kränzlin, F. (1991). Fungi of Swit-
zerland Volume 3. Edition Mycologia, Switzer-
land. 361 pp.
Breitenbach, J., Kränzlin, F. (1995). Fungi of Swit-
zerland Volume 4. Edition Mycologia, Switzer-
land. 368 pp.
Breitenbach, J., Kränzlin, F. (2000). Fungi of Swit-
zerland Volume 5. Edition Mycologia, Switzer-
land. 338 pp.
Däncke, R. M. (2001). 1200 Pilze in Farbfotos. Ger-
many. 1178 pp.
Flammer, R. (1980). Differentialdiagnose der Pilz-
vergiftungen. Gustav Ficher Verlag, Stuttgart -
New York.
Flammer, R., Horak, E.(1983). Giftpilze – Pilzgifte.
Ekennung und Behandlung von Pilzvergiftungen.
Sporenschlűssel. Kosmos, Gesellshaft der
Naturfreunde Franckh’sche Verlagshandlung, Stut-
tgart.
Karadelev, M. (2000). Kvalitativno-kvanti-
tativen sosotav na makromicetite (Basidi-
omycetes i Ascomycetes) vo fitocenozata
Calamintho grandiflorae-Fagetum vo sosotav na
Nacionalniot Park „Mavrovo“. Skopje.
Krieglsteiner, G. J. (2000). Die Großpilze Baden-
Wurttembergs Band 2, Eugen Ulmer GmbH &
Co., Germany. 620 pp.
Krieglsteiner, G. J. (2000). Die Großpilze Baden-
Wurttembergs Band 3, Eugen Ulmer GmbH &
Co., Germany. 634 pp.
Moser, M. (1983). Die Röhrlinge und Blatterpilze.
Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgard, 533 pp. Sta-
ments, P. (1996). Psilocybin mushrooms of the
World. An identification guide. Ten Speed Press,
Berkeley, California.
Tortić, M. (1988). Materials for the mycoflora of
Macedonia. Maked. akad. na naukite iumetnos-
tite. Skopje, 64p.
 Hallucinogenic fungi in the Republic of Macedonia

HALUCINOGENI GABI VO REPUBLIKA MAKEDONIJA

Mitko KARADELEV i Sof~e SPASIKOVA

Institut za Biologija, Prirodno-matemati~ki fakultet, P.Fah 162, Gazi Baba bb, 1000 Skopje

Rezime

Dosega vo R. Makedonija se registrirani 16 vida halucinogeni gabi. Ovie vidovi pripa|aat

na rodovite: Psilocybe (P. bullacea, P. cyanescens, P. coprophyla, P.montana, P. muscorum, P. physaloides),
Panaeolus (P. papilionaceus, P. semiovatus), Elaphomyces (E. granulatus, E. reticulatus), Amanita (A.muscaria),
Claviceps (C.purpurea), Gymnopilus (G.spectabilis), Pluteus (P.salicinus), Stropharia (S.coronilla) i Mycena
(M.pura). Ovie gabi rastat vo razli~ni listopadni i ~etinarski {umi, na livadi, na po~vi bogati
so organska materija, naizmet itn. Kako rezultat na prisustvoto na odredeni halucinogeni ma-
terii, tie predizvikuvaat tri razli~ni sindromi: ergotizam, psilocin-psilocibinski i
muskarinski sindrom. Halucinogenite materii vo ovie gabi se ergotot, psilocinot, psilocib-
inot, beocistinot, nor-beocistinot, muskarinot, muscimolot, muskazonot i ibotenskata kiseli-
na.

Proceedings of the 2nd Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia 483