A new species of psilocybin mushroom has been found, foraged, and named after the prominent mycologist and fungi uber-enthusiast Paul Stamets.

Psilocybe stametsii has been seen only twice: once in 2011 and once in 2022. Both times, it was discovered in Ecuador's Los Cedros Biological Reserve. While it is similar in appearance to other magic mushrooms, it has a unique pointy cap, and researchers say it is evolutionarily distinct from other psilocybin mushrooms.

“It is an absolute joy to be able to honor Paul Stamets with a new species of mushroom,” says Giuliana Furci, Fungi Foundation founder and co-publisher of this latest 'shroom discovery.

Stamets has long been at the forefront of mycology and has authored several books on the subject of fungi, including 1996’s Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide. The inventor, educator, and entrepreneur recently raised $60 million to fund his start-up, MycoMedica Life Sciences, which is dedicated to developing therapeutic drugs derived from fungi. According to a report in Forbes, he also just obtained a patent (six years in the making) that explores how unique psilocybin combinations can improve mental health and neurogenesis.

This patent is the latest in a flurry of developments around the potential of magic mushrooms for treating mood and cognition, which is one of many reasons Furci believes naming this latest discovery in Stamets’s honor is so apt. “His contribution to the global appreciation of fungi is undisputed and unparalleled,” she says. “His relentless dedication to advancing mycology has inspired thousands of people around the world for decades, including myself.”

For his part, Stamets is deeply grateful and looking forward to meeting his new namesake. “To be recognized like this is the greatest honor that a mycologist can receive, and that two renowned mycologists co-authored this discovery deepens my appreciation,” he says. “I also feel a keen responsibility to further protect the mycodiversity of fungi in all their wondrous forms. They are truly fantastic… I am excited to go on a field expedition to see this species in its natural habitat.”

Due to the rare nature of this newly discovered 'shroom, it’s unlikely any of us will be sampling Psilocybe stametsii anytime soon. But don’t despair; since researchers estimate that only five to ten percent of the world’s fungi are known to us, this likely won’t be the last novel mushroom foraged. Perhaps the next will offer even greater benefits to our minds, bodies, and souls, and since Stamets is already taken, we’d be happy to lend our name… Psilocybe shroomboom?! Now that’s #goals.