About
Penis Envy is one of the most potent and iconic variants of Psilocybe cubensis, instantly recognizable by its dense, phallic-shaped fruiting bodies and its extraordinarily high psilocybin content. Known for producing intense, immersive, and deeply transformative experiences, Penis Envy is favored by advanced psychonauts, therapists, and ceremonial guides seeking depth, clarity, and ego dissolution.
History
The origins of Penis Envy trace back to legendary psychonaut Terence McKenna, who reportedly collected the original spores in the Amazon. Later cultivated and isolated, its distinct morphology and rare spore production set it apart from typical cubensis strains. Named both for its visual resemblance and its powerful psychedelic strength, Penis Envy has inspired numerous sub-strains, including Albino PE, PE6, and Melmac.
Its legacy continues as one of the most powerful and sought-after psilocybin mushrooms in the world.
Overview
Mushrooms are short, thick, and dense, often with undeveloped caps, and very limited or no spore drop. Colonization is slow, and yields are smaller, but the potency is among the highest of any cubensis variant.
The experience is intensely visual, spiritually profound, and often emotionally cathartic, involving ego death, mystical unity, and therapeutic breakthroughs. Ideal for solo deep dives, guided ceremonies, or professional therapeutic use—not recommended for beginners.
Physical Characteristics
Caps:
Bulbous, often lacking a pronounced umbo, smooth, bruise bluish when damaged.
Gills:
Adnate to adnexed, close, initially light brown, darkening with maturity.
Cognitive Effects
Creativity
Users report an increase in creative thought processes.
Psychoactive Effects
Euphoric
A profound sense of well-being and happiness.
Helps With
Depression
May alleviate symptoms of depression in some users.
PTSD
Potential to help with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.
Possible Side Effects
Nausea
Common, especially at the onset of effects.
Anxiety
Can occur, particularly in unfamiliar or uncomfortable settings.
Medicinal Chemistry
Similar Species
Species: Psilocybe tampanensis
Edibility: Psychoactive
Key Differences: Smaller, truffle-like appearance, less potent.
Species: Psilocybe tampanensis
Edibility: Psychoactive
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References
A whole genome atlas of 81 Psilocybe genomes as a resource for psilocybin production.
The Psilocybe genus is well known for the synthesis of valuable psychoactive compounds such as Psilocybin, Psilocin, Baeocystin and Aeruginascin. The ubiquity of Psilocybin synthesis in Psilocybe has been attributed to a horizontal gene transfer mechanism of a ~20Kb gene cluster. A recently published highly contiguous reference genome derived from long read single molecule sequencing has underscored interesting variation in this Psilocybin synthesis gene cluster. This reference genome has also enabled the shotgun sequencing of spores from many Psilocybe strains to better catalog the genomic diversity in the Psilocybin synthesis pathway. Here we present the de novo assembly of 81 Psilocybe genomes compared to the P.envy reference genome. Surprisingly, the genomes of Psilocybe galindoi, Psilocybe tampanensis and Psilocybe azurescens lack sequence coverage over the previously described Psilocybin synthesis pathway but do demonstrate amino acid sequence homology to a less contiguous gene cluster and may illuminate the previously proposed evolution of psilocybin synthesis.
2021