What’s the difference between albino mushrooms and leucistic mushrooms?
There has been some confusion within the mycology community about the difference between leucistic and albino mushrooms. In this article, we will break down the differences between the two and provide examples of each.
Albino Characteristics
Albinos are typically defined as organisms that exhibit deficient pigmentation. In mycology, albino mushrooms are completely lacking pigmentation which results in a white cap and clear, colorless spores. While some albino cubensis strains, like APE, can be observed with blue tinted caps, that is not related to pigmentation and is instead caused by the bluing reaction of Psilocybin within the mushroom’s flesh.
Albino Mushroom Examples
Some examples of albino mushrooms include:
Albino Penis Envy (APE)
Avery’s Albino
True Albino Tex PE6
True Albino Melmac (TAM)
Wombat Tat
Leucistic Characteristics
Leucistic, which is pronounced \\luːˈkɪstɪk\\, is an adjective commonly used to describe animals that have reduced pigmentation in their skin but normal colored eyes. In mycology, leucistic mushrooms are mushrooms that lack pigment in the caps, making them appear white or off-white while still producing pigmented spores. Many leucistic strains have a faint yellow tint which is due to the partial pigmentation loss.
Leucistic Mushroom Examples
Some examples of leucistic mushrooms include:
AA+
Leucistic Burma
Leucistic Ecuador
Leucistic Golden Teacher
Leucistic JMF
Rusty White
Pigmentation Loss
Many common cubensis strains that start out pigmented can produce albino or leucistic fruits. For example, Tosohatchee was originally found as a pigmented fruit but some researchers have observed Tosohatchee phenos that are leucistic. Similarly, Shakti is an albino variation of the pigmented Malabar cubensis strain.
Shakti
Strain Misnomers
Some common mushroom strains have been misleadingly labeled as albino or white when in fact they are actually leucistic. Because of the overuse of the terms albino and white to describe leucistic strains, members of the community have begun to call real albino mushrooms “true albinos” such as True Albino Teacher (TAT) or True Albino Melmac (TAM).
True Albino Teacher (TAT) “Jack Frost”
Conclusion
While the flesh of both albino and leucistic mushrooms appear white, the main difference is that leucistic mushrooms have colored spores while albino mushrooms have clear, colorless spores.
Related Articles
What are Albino Penis Envy “APE” mushrooms?
Albino Penis Envy, also commonly referred to as APE for short, is one of the most elusive and sought after magic mushroom strains of the decade.
How to Store Spores And Liquid Cultures
So you just got your mushroom spores or liquid culture from Inoculate The World but now you’re probably wondering on how to store them to ensure their longevity. Here is everything you need to know about storing spores and liquid cultures!How Long Can Spores Last In...
The Benefits of Buying Spores from InoculateTheWorld
Come learn about why more and more people continue to buy spores from InoculateTheWorld.
This is a great article! Thanks for putting all that knowledge together in one spot!
This is a great article! Thanks for putting all that knowledge together in one spot!