Penis Envy – The Legendary Psilocybe cubensis
The story of Penis Envy is one of mystery, murder, and myth; a strain whose legend is as unusual as its shape.
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Penis Envy Origins in the Amazon
The story of Penis Envy begins in the early 1970s, when Terence McKenna traveled to the Amazon. During his exploration, he reportedly discovered a mutant form of Psilocybe cubensis growing in cattle dung. Struck by its unusual form and potential, McKenna collected spore prints and eventually sent them back to the United States.
These spores found their way to Dr. Steven Pollock, a mycologist who cultivated and refined the strain. Pollock’s experiments produced mushrooms with unusually thick stems and bulbous caps — features unlike anything in the Western world at the time. This became the foundation of the now-legendary Penis Envy lineage.
Cultivation and Mystery
Pollock spent years working with the strain, isolating robust specimens and perfecting its morphology. His work was tragically cut short when he was murdered under mysterious circumstances, and nearly 1,800 jars of mushrooms were seized and destroyed by authorities. The sudden loss of his cultures could have ended the Penis Envy story, but others stepped in to preserve and continue his work.
Richard Gee and the Washington Connection
Another figure, Richard Gee, played a key role in the strain’s survival. Gee reportedly obtained spores connected to McKenna’s original find — though through an intermediary, not directly. For years he refined and shared the culture, sometimes sparking debate about who truly “created” Penis Envy.
In a 2021 interview with Hamilton Morris, Gee clarified that McKenna had discovered the strain but that its development in the U.S. took independent paths through both Pollock and his own work. This split lineage added to the complexity of the strain’s backstory.
The Birth of Melmac and Homestead Penis Envy
One of the most overlooked chapters in Penis Envy’s history involves the Homestead Book Company, an early publisher and supplier of mushroom grow kits. Homestead developed and circulated a variant of PE that came to be known as Melmac, or “Homestead Penis Envy.” This version maintained the phallic shape but offered distinct features that helped cement PE’s reputation.
The Name That Stuck
The name “Penis Envy” itself was born out of humor. When dancers jokingly compared the mushrooms to “donkey dongs,” Gee quipped, “Do you have penis envy?” The phrase stuck, and the strain’s infamy only grew from there.
Morphology & Traits
Cap: Bulbous, underdeveloped, sometimes remaining partially closed.
Stem: Thick, dense, and massive compared to typical cubensis.
Spores: Poor spore production; many lineages are nearly sterile.
Coloration: Golden-brown caps, pale stipes, with albino and leucistic variants in circulation.
Variants and Legacy
Penis Envy’s sterility forced creative preservation techniques, leading to a family tree of famous sub-strains:
PE Uncut: Compact and marshmallow-like, with caps that rarely open.
Albino Penis Envy (APE): A leucistic variant, pale and potent.
Old Dirty PE: Outdoor lineage, rugged and unusual.
PE6: A cross between Penis Envy and a classic cubensis.
Melmac: The original Homestead variation.
A Cornerstone of Modern Mycology
From its origins in the Amazon to its spread through underground cultivation, Penis Envy is more than just a strain — it’s a cultural icon. It represents the blending of discovery, experimentation, and myth. To this day, it remains one of the most sought-after cubensis varieties, valued for its distinctive morphology, fascinating history, and the many lineages it inspired.
