The Amazonian strain โ officially designated "PES Amazon" after Pacific Exotica Spora, the company that first commercialized it โ is one of the few Psilocybe cubensis strains with a documented commercial lineage. This guide covers the strain's history, distinctive physical characteristics, and spore morphology that makes it a useful subject for comparative microscopy alongside more common strains like Golden Teacher and B+.
This guide is part of our strain series. Compare with Golden Teacher, B+, and Blue Meanie. For microscopy setup, see how to use a spore syringe for microscopy.
Jump to
Origin & history
The Amazonian strain's name suggests a South American origin โ and while Psilocybe cubensis does grow wild across tropical South America (including the Amazon basin), the commercial "Amazonian" or "PES Amazon" strain was specifically isolated and popularized by Pacific Exotica Spora, a spore vendor that operated in the early 2000s. PES is responsible for commercializing several well-known strains, making it one of the more significant (if now-defunct) players in the cubensis strain documentation space.
The name "Amazon" within the PES catalog likely reflects either a claimed collection origin from South American wild specimens or a marketing reference to the tropical association. Either way, the strain has since spread widely across the hobbyist mycology world and is now produced by many vendors independently of the original PES lineage.
Physical characteristics
Amazonian is a large-capped, vigorous strain with some of the most consistent phenotypic expression in the cubensis family:
- Cap (pileus): Large and broadly convex โ some of the largest caps in the cubensis family, with diameters of 50โ100mm common and 120mm+ reported in optimal conditions. Cap color is rich reddish-brown to chestnut brown at center, fading to tan at the edges. The surface is dry and slightly fibrous.
- Stem (stipe): Thick, robust, often 10โ15mm diameter and 80โ150mm tall. Creamy white to pale yellow, with significant blue bruising. The thick stipe is one of the more reliable visual distinguishers from Golden Teacher at maturity.
- Gills: Dense, closely spaced, gray-white in youth, deep purple-black at maturity. Gill attachment is adnate (broadly attached to stipe).
- Veil: Prominent partial veil that tears cleanly at maturity, leaving a well-defined annulus. Reliable veil development makes Amazonian an easier strain to document for spore print collection timing.
- Spore print: Very dark purple-black, dense. One of the highest-yield spore prints in the cubensis group โ dense prints are typical even from first fruitings.
Under the microscope
Amazonian spores are taxonomically typical of P. cubensis but with some distinguishing features:
- Size: 11โ17 ร 7โ11 ฮผm โ within standard cubensis range, similar to Golden Teacher.
- Shape: Subellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid. The shape is more consistently symmetrical than Blue Meanie and more rounded in profile than Tidal Wave. Closely resembles Golden Teacher under the scope โ this makes Amazonian useful for inter-strain comparison studies, where subtle differences are the subject.
- Color: Dark purple-brown under transmitted light, consistent with typical cubensis. Not as dark as Blue Meanie but darker than albino variants.
- Germ pore: Prominent and well-defined, centered on one end. Typical of genus Psilocybe.
- Surface: Smooth at 1000ร oil immersion. No ornamentation.
- Suspension quality: Amazonian produces very dense suspensions โ a single syringe drop can be too concentrated for immediate use. Dilute with a drop of distilled water before coverslipping if the field is overcrowded at 100ร.
Comparison to related strains
Under the microscope, Amazonian is closest to Golden Teacher โ they're the hardest pair to distinguish in the standard cubensis strain group:
- vs. Golden Teacher: Very similar size range and shape. The most reliable distinction is spore density in suspension (Amazonian produces more per drop) and slight differences in spore wall opacity โ Amazonian walls appear marginally more opaque at equivalent illumination. Side-by-side comparison is the best way to see this.
- vs. B+: B+ spores are broader (higher width-to-length ratio) and show a more prominent germ pore on average. B+ is easier to differentiate from Amazonian than GT is.
- vs. Blue Meanie: Blue Meanie shows notably darker pigmentation and more clumping. Visually distinct from Amazonian even at 400ร.
Research applications
Amazonian is particularly useful for:
- High-density sample studies. The dense spore suspension makes Amazonian ideal for counting and measurement studies where you need a large sample of clearly separated spores โ after dilution, the density means abundant material per slide.
- Inter-strain comparative studies with Golden Teacher. Because the two strains are so similar morphologically, comparing them side-by-side teaches the subtle end of intraspecies variation โ useful for advanced microscopy students who have already mastered gross identification.
- Spore print documentation. Amazonian's reliable, dense prints make it a good subject for spore print photography and long-term specimen archiving.
Legal status
Psilocybe cubensis spores โ including Amazonian โ are legal to purchase and possess for microscopy research in 47 US states. The three states where spore sales are prohibited: California, Idaho, and Georgia. For full details, see our Spore Law & Compliance page.
FAQ
Is the Amazonian strain actually from the Amazon?
Possibly โ P. cubensis does grow throughout tropical South America, and the strain may have originated from South American wild collections. But "Amazonian" as a commercial strain is primarily a Pacific Exotica Spora product name, and the strain has been maintained in cultivation independently of any geographic origin for decades. The name should be treated as a cultivar designation, not a collection locality.
How is Amazonian different from Golden Teacher if the spores look the same?
The spores are very similar โ this is genuinely one of the harder pairs to distinguish under the scope. The practical differences show up more clearly in the fruitbody (Amazonian caps are generally larger, stipes thicker, spore prints denser) than in the spores themselves. For comparative research, this makes the pair valuable: you can study what consistent differences exist despite near-identical spore morphology.
Will Amazonian work for a first microscopy session?
Yes, but be prepared to dilute. The dense suspension means your first drop may be too crowded to read clearly at 100ร. Dilute by half with distilled water and you'll get clean, well-separated fields. The spores themselves are easy to identify and measure.
Where can I buy Amazonian spore syringes?
Our Amazonian spore syringe is produced fresh in a sterile flow hood and ships within 1โ2 business days. The dense suspension means you'll get dozens of clean slides per 10ml syringe.
Disclaimer: HelloSpore sells Psilocybe cubensis spore syringes strictly for microscopy, taxonomy, and educational research. We do not support or condone germination or cultivation of controlled species. Follow all local, state, and federal laws.