Interesting South African mushroom i found on a cold winters morning.

A little while back while hiking in the Overberg mountain ranges in South Africa i discovered this mushroom, which i believe to be Leratiomyces ceres. What I find particularity interesting about Leratiomyces ceres is that Psilocybe aurantiacum and Psilocybe ceres are both synonyms for Leratiomyces ceres ( Which has been the proposed name since 2008).

Leratiomyces ceres is commonly known as the Redlead Roundhead. It is found with increasing regularity in Europe, but it is also known from Australia and New Zealand as well as North America. This mushroom even though having synonyms like Psilocybe ceres and aurantiacum does not contain psilocybin or psilocin.

• Cap: 2 to 6 cm in diameter, with thin flesh and a bright red to brick red top which is convex to plane in age.
• Gills: Close, white to pale gray at first, later darker purple/brown or purplish grey with whitish edges.
• Spores:Dark purple/brown.
• Stipe:Whitish, often with dark orange stains in age, 4–8 cm long, .5 to 1 cm wide.

Below is a photo of a older specimen of the same species.

I hope you enjoyed this post, if so please give me a follow and upvote and go check out my introduction post i made earlier. :)

Hope you guys have a fantastic day, peace.