what are they?- Alchimia Grow Shop

At Alchimiaweb we are clear that a large number of readers know, or at least intuit, what a hybrid marijuana variety is and why they are created. They are the result of crossing two pure varieties – the result being known as F1 – to enhance the best attributes of both parents.

Now we will introduce you to the world of hallucinogenic mono-hybrids; two different genetics of mushrooms that, crossed with each other, result in a variety of potencies and productions beyond the reach of the native ones. We will talk about how these hybrids are created and what benefits they offer compared to pure varieties, we will introduce ourselves to one of the most important families of hybrids in the world of entheomycology – the Penis Envy – and finally, we will see what options we have in our catalog for be able to buy spores or cakes of hybrid varieties.

What is a hybrid variety?

In the world of mycology, a hybrid variety is defined as anything that results from a cross between two different varieties that generates fruitful spores.

It is a completely natural process: two varieties of mushrooms meet and reproduce to create a hybrid more adaptable to the existing reality. The crossing of genes where the resulting fungus takes the best attributes of both parents is called introgressive hybridization or introgression. As just discussed, this allows natural selection to create the most adaptive species possible.

Thus, mycologists replicate this operation in vitro, that is, in an artificial and controlled environment, without interference in the climate and with great meticulousness. This environment will be arranged to favor the appearance of certain genes that the researcher finds appropriate and then isolate them.

Pure hybrids – a native variety crossed by another native variety – are not usually found in nature. They are usually polyhybrids crossed with each other that evolve to better adapt to the surrounding climate. Pure hybrids do not usually thrive outdoors; It is believed that one of the main reasons is physical fitness, since in crossbreeding this is reduced compared to their predecessors.

How are hybrids generated? Mycelium reproduction

Let me be warned in advance, now comes a part as heavy as it is important; Below we will try to explain the reproduction of mushrooms. It should be said that it is not a mycology class nor does it try to be, just the most relevant points to understand the reproduction and creation of Psilocybe hybrids.

The secret of mushroom reproduction lies in their genome. There are two separate locations called loci (A and B), each of which has two alternative forms named alleles (Alpha and Beta). As a result, 4 genera emerge -Alpha A, Alpha B, Beta A, Beta B-. The twist comes when A and B can have many different variants, specifically 339 for A and 64 for B.

Thus, thousands of mushrooms can have unique sexes and reproduce with any as long as there is a difference between A and B. This difference is the door through which the two genetics can be merged.

This asexual mating process is produced by the mycelium, specifically by the hyphae, not by the spores left by the mushrooms as one might think. These hyphae are responsible for functions such as absorbing nutrients and bringing cellular sap, where all the genetic material is contained. The set of hyphae of a mycelium collides with another set and, if they are compatible, they join together to form the connection that will give rise to a new hybrid mushroom.

To do it in vitro, what is usually done is to cultivate the two mycelia that want to reproduce separately through spores; Once they have completely colonized the culture medium, both mycelia are mixed so that they fuse.

The Penis Envy Family. Famous and award-winning throughout the world

One of the genetics that has been used the most to create new hybrids is the powerful and mysterious Penis Envy. This variety has both a particular history and origin, involving mycologists of such reputation as Terence Mckenna or the unnoticed Rich Gee – co-author of How to Identify and Grow Psilocybin Mushrooms and Cubensis, Aquarium Gardening.

Terence Mckenna, a mushroom-loving polymath

Terence Mckenna is a difficult figure to describe; writer, philosopher, historian, ethnobotanist, psychonaut… Today we want to introduce you to this iconic personality of the psychedelic movement, undoubtedly one of the best advocates of the use of entheogenic substances of the last century.

Although until 2021 Steven Pollock – the first person to record the incredible Psilocybe Tampanensis – was credited with creating Penis Envy genetics as we know it today, it seems that the story was somewhat different. Rich Gee obtained, thanks to his friend and co-author Jules Stevens, spores of a new variety that Terrence McKenna had brought directly from the Amazon and had in his collection. Once in Gee’s hands, he isolated and enhanced it into the extremely powerful and phallic Penis Envy. The decision of the name was also somewhat surreal, since as Rich Gee explains, he was in a Strip Club in 1977. In there he took out a large bag of Penis Envy – at that time they called him Amazonas – and when the strippers saw them and asked if that was a donkey’s penis, to which Gee replied “You have Penis Envy?”

Having told the story and returning to the topic at hand, Penis Envy has turned out to be one of the most crossed genetics since its discovery. A very important fact to understand its popularity is its extreme potency, more worthy of other species such as Panaeolus Cyanescens.

A large number of high-potency varieties have been developed from this hybrid, we present some of the best-known:

• Albino Penis Envy or “APE” – It is a hybrid identical to the powerful Penis Envy but with a much more difficult cultivation. It is not a variety that is recommended for beginners; however, an experienced grower can fall in love with this genetics since in short, it is a completely white Penis Envy, without losing power.

• Penis Envy Uncut – It is a well-known variety within the Penis Envy family both for its potency and for its unique growth characteristics. One of these properties is the reason why it is called Uncut, since the caps rarely open to release the spores. It is an easier variety to grow than the previous ones, and reaches levels of Tryptamines much higher than almost any other Psilocybe, with averages of 2%.

• Penis Envy #6 – It is a cross between a Penis Envy and the Texas variety, so it is a strain that quickly colonizes the substrate and at the same time maintains its potency. They look more like the Texas variety than Penis Envy and are a perfect strain for the novice grower.

• Tidal Wave – It is a hybridization between our corresponding strain, Penis Envy, along with the versatile B+ mushroom variety. Thanks to the union with this second Tidal Wave, it is a genetic that is much less difficult to grow and with larger yields, but without losing any of its power.

We could spend hours talking about the Penis Envy family since it seems to be the preferred variety for the entheogenic world, not only these, dozens and dozens of hybrids have been created, each with its own peculiarities and benefits compared to others.

Mushroom Growing: Instructions for Tatandi Kits

Today we are going to teach you, step by step and in a simple way, how to use the mushroom growing kits of the Spanish brand Tatandi, undoubtedly one of the ones that offer the best results. We will see how to grow both its traditional and hybrid varieties, so that you do not have any doubts before starting and everything goes smoothly.

What mushroom hybrids can be found on Alchimiaweb?

If we talk about hybrids, obviously we must talk about Penis Envy, but on our website, you can find a large number of hybrid varieties thanks to Tatandi’s magnificent catalog, among which the following stand out:

• Yeti – It is the result of working with the powerful and well-known True Albino Teacher, created by Jik Fibs. It is a variety morphologically similar to the Golden Teacher and is a simple crop with a powerful generation of Psilocybin and Psilocin.
• White Rabbit – It was achieved thanks to a cross between Albino Penis Envy and the Moby Dick variety of albino mushrooms. Knowing the two parents (which are two of the most powerful varieties on the market) one can sense that the levels of Tryptamines generated are enormous and among the most powerful on the market. It is an albino variety, without pigment, since its two parents are also albino.
• Jack Frost – A hybridization between True Albino Teacher and Albino Penis Envy gives me enough confidence to break the 3rd wall and tell you that it is an explosive variety, both during cultivation and once cut, where the only color that will disturb the powerful white is the blue. This blue is no coincidence since it is the color that Psilocybin acquires and is a good indicator of the amount of psilocybin it contains.

And that’s it for our explanation of what hybrid varieties of hallucinogenic mushrooms are and what is – broadly speaking – the biological process that the mycelium follows to reproduce asexually.

Summary and conclusions

In summary, hybrids in the world of mycology are the result of a cross between two different varieties of mushrooms to combine the best attributes of each of the parents and generate reproducible spores. This hybridization is not through these spores, but through the hyphae that make up the mycelium; It is also where the cellular sap with the genetic material resides, along with the function of collecting nutrients. Sexes in the fungal world is a very complex topic, and there can be more than 400 different sexes. When you want to reproduce a hybridization in vitro, the two mycelia are grown separately and, once colonized, the two substrates or culture media are mixed, generally some type of agar.

Currently, there is a wide variety of hybrid genetics, but among them, those of the Penis Envy family stand out. It is due to a wealth of properties acquired by this variety, which makes Penis Envy – and derivatives – one of the most chosen options by the multitude of growers, both experts and novices. The properties that have made users most excited are its extreme power and its peculiar shape, similar to a male member. The hybrids from this genetics are different from each other, where each one enhances a different aspect of the mushroom. You can find albino Penis Envy varieties (APE), others that are easier to grow (Penis Envy Uncut) that also do not open their caps, and even others that enhance their production such as the Tidal Wave.

In our catalog you can also find a wide variety of hybrid genetics, waiting to surprise you with the great work of spatial mycologists like those who work at Tatandi, a Spanish company with a more than interesting catalog.