Psilocybe
/ˌsaɪləˈsaɪbi/noun
A genus of fungi that includes several species containing the psychoactive compound psilocybin.
Did you know?Mycologist Elias Magnus Fries formed Psilocybe from Greek roots in the 19th century, while some species became central to modern research into altered states of consciousness.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
psilós
“Bare, stripped, or uncovered”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kýbē
“Head; the rounded head or cap of something”
1821
New Latin
Psilocybe
“A fungal genus name meaning approximately “bare head,” referring to the mushroom’s cap”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Psilocybe
“Formal taxonomic name applied to a genus of agaric fungi”
Modern English
English
Psilocybe
“A genus including well-known psilocybin-producing mushrooms”