There has been some confusion within the mycology community about the difference between leucistic and albino mushrooms. In this article, we will break down what makes the two different and provide examples of each.
Albino mushroom 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 Albino Penis Envy (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. If you’re curious to learn more, check out our Albino Penis Envy mushrooms guide for detailed information on their unique traits.
Albino mushroom examples
Albino Penis Envy (APE)
Avery’s Albino
True Albino Tex PE6
True Albino Melmac (TAM)
Wombat Tat
Leucistic mushroom characteristics
Leucistic mushroom examples
Some examples of leucistic cubensis mushrooms include:
AA+
Leucistic Burma
Leucistic Ecuador
Leucistic Golden Teacher
Leucistic JMF
Rusty White
Pigmentation loss
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). For growers interested in exploring these strains, Psilocybe spore syringes provide an easy way to get started with true albino cultivation.
True Albino Teacher (TAT) “Jack Frost”
Conclusion
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