Psilocybe zapotecorum is a fungus with a very peculiar ecology: mostly growing out of vertical walls & scars created by landslides at elevations of 1400-2800 meters in the wet montane forests of central Mexico. (Videos in last three slides).
The habitat that this species occupies is almost always treacherous and incredibly steep, thus it's common name as one of 5 species of "derrumbe" (Spanish for "landslide) mushroom. It is also one of the most potent wild Psilocybin-containing mushroom species in the world, reportedly containing 2.6% psilocybin (and probably more). It bruises a very strong blue after being handled or touched, indicating the conversion of psilocybin to psilocin.
But the ecology here is what's mind-blowing. How does a mushroom species come to almost only grow out of vertical dirt walls at the bottom of dark canyons?
Due to the steep terrain here, which is in turn a result of the geologic setting : the Cocos tectonic plate to the South is subducting beneath the North American plate, causing a region of intense volcanism and uplift (see: Mexican Transvolcanic Belt).
This subduction zone to the South is responsible for the steep terrain, which is in turn responsible for the landslides, which coupled with the heavy and frequent rainfall (from warm moist air rising once it hits these mountains) is in turn responsible for the large amount of buried plant material in the substrate and walls of these ravines, which in turn provide an ample food source for Psilocybe zapotecorum.
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