Fauna
Fungus · GBIF taxon 2526769

Blue Meanies

Panaeolus cyanescens

Also known as Blue-Staining Panaeolus

Blue Meanies are delicate, slender-stemmed coprophilous mushrooms native to tropical and warm temperate grasslands worldwide. When damaged or handled, their pale greyish caps and stipes rapidly oxidize to an intense azure blue, reflecting high concentrations of indole alkaloids. They play an essential ecological role as saprotrophs, quickly decomposing dung and liberating vital nutrients back into the pasture soil.

CoprophilousSpore-producingDecomposer
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—observations
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Saprotrophic (absorbs nutrients from herbivore dung and rich organic soil)
Predators
  • Fungus gnat larvae
  • Slugs
  • Springtails
ThreatsFungicide runoff, pasture conversion, and intensive livestock management
HabitatsTropical pastures, grassy meadows, and dung piles
Life spanFruit bodies persist 3–6 days; subterranean mycelium lives indefinitely
Classification
  1. OrderAgaricales
  2. FamilyBolbitiaceae
  3. GenusPanaeolus
  4. SpeciesPanaeolus cyanescens
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Contains psychoactive toxins and has toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Why it is dangerous
Contains high concentrations of psilocin and psilocybin, inducing disorientation, rapid heart rate, intense anxiety, and altered perception.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Look for a slender off-white cap that turns dark blue or blackish-green where bruised.
What to do
Do not harvest or consume; wash hands thoroughly if accidentally touched and keep pets away from pasture growth.
Responsible observation
  • Spore Printing: Collect jet-black spore prints on white paper to confirm identification.
  • Field Observation: Examine specimens in situ without disturbing their fragile rootlike rhizomorphs.
  • Seasonal Timing: Look in warm pastures following torrential summer rainstorms.
Related species
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