Albino Penis Envy Revert (Psilocybe cubensis)
Visual Identification
What is Albino Penis Envy Revert? A Complete Overview
The Albino Penis Envy Revert (often abbreviated APE Revert) is a unique variant of the popular Albino Penis Envy strain of Psilocybe cubensis. This strain visually and genetically shows a reversion to more traditional Psilocybe cubensis traits while retaining some of the defining characteristics of both Albino and Penis Envy parents. It features a more open cap, reminiscent of classic cubensis mushrooms, while losing the dense, stem-heavy structure associated with Penis Envy lineages.
What sets the APE Revert apart is its intriguing combination of visual aesthetics and moderate-to-high potency. The cap is usually pale — ranging from ivory beige to creamy tan — and may present occasional blue bruising on handling due to the oxidation of psilocybin. Its gills are light to medium gray and develop purplish-black spores upon maturity, in contrast to true Albino strains that are often sporeless or sterile.
Mycologists and psychonauts alike value APE Revert for being easier to cultivate than its Penis Envy predecessors while maintaining a potent psychedelic profile. While it doesn't reach the extreme intensity of pure Albino Penis Envy mushrooms, it offers a well-rounded, introspective experience typically sought after in ceremonial or exploratory psychedelia.
Taxonomic Classification
Origin and Cultural Significance of APE Revert
The Albino Penis Envy Revert traces its origin through a unique evolutionary reversal observed by amateur and underground mycologists experimenting with the unstable genetics of the Albino Penis Envy (APE). As a strain that emerged from home cultivars, the Revert is not a 'wild' or naturally occurring species but rather a product of extensive human cultivation and genetic variation, often appearing as a spontaneous mutation.
Culturally, the Revert is significant in mushroom-growing communities, especially among cultivators who came across it unexpectedly when cultivating APE spores. Instead of forming blob-like stems and small caps, certain specimens grew with traits resembling classic cubensis mushrooms – broader caps with more standard stem-cap ratios. Some growers saw this as a "regression," hence the name "Revert."
Though not tied to indigenous traditions like Psilocybe mexicana or P. semilanceata, the APE Revert has found its place in the modern psychedelic movement. It is often used in intentional ceremonies, solo introspective work, and creative enhancement. Online communities view it as a beloved outlier in the family of Penis Envy mushrooms, given its combination of visual appeal and accessibility.
Due to its pleasant psychedelic effects and moderate cultivation requirements, APE Revert has gained recent notoriety within Reddit, Shroomery, and other psychedelic circles. Digital culture enshrines it as an example of how mushroom strains evolve rapidly under careful selection or unintentional mutations, a contemporary cultural mirror of nature's ingenuity.
How to Cultivate Albino Penis Envy Revert
Difficulty Level: Intermediate - easier than full-fledged Albino Penis Envy strains, yet still requires attention suited for intermediate growers.
Substrate Requirements:
- CVG (Coco Coir, Vermiculite, and Gypsum) - recommended for a more clean, odor-free cultivation
- Sterilized milo grain spawn for superior nutrition
- Traditional manure/hay substrates (also suitable)
- All-in-one grow kits available for convenience
Environmental Conditions:
- Colonization Temperature: 75°F to 81°F (24°C–27°C)
- Fruiting Temperature: 70°F to 75°F (21°C–24°C)
- Humidity: 85–95% during fruiting
- Lighting: 6500K LED, 12 hours on/12 hours off
Timeline:
- Colonization: 2–4 weeks depending on genetics and conditions
- Better flushes and fewer malformed fruits than APE proper
- Yield: 1.5 to 3 dry ounces per 54-quart monotub under healthy conditions
Advantages: One major advantage the Revert has over APE proper is that it produces spores regularly, making propagation using spore syringes or prints feasible. Cultivators often use monotubs, shotgun fruiting chambers, or automated Martha tents for best results.
Where Does APE Revert Typically Grow?
Because Albino Penis Envy Revert is a laboratory-derived and cultivated strain of Psilocybe cubensis, it is not typically found in wild habitats. However, should its spores or mycelium be introduced into the wild under hospitable conditions, it's possible for it to thrive similarly to its cubensis relatives.
In terms of theoretical natural habitat, cubensis mushrooms generally prefer warm, humid, and subtropical to tropical climates including regions across South America, Central America, Southeast Asia, and parts of the southern United States. Typical environmental factors include:
- High soil moisture and decaying organic matter
- Presence of animal dung—most notably cow or horse droppings
- Open grasslands, pastures, and forest edges
- Areas with indirect sunlight
- High ambient humidity of over 80%
- Consistent rainfall patterns
Most instances of APE Revert observed in natural-style conditions occur in outdoor grows or guerrilla patches sown near composts. Such usages have been reported through forums where cultivators test strains outdoors during suitable seasonal windows.
When is APE Revert in Season?
Spring through early Fall (March–October in most temperate zones)
Is APE Revert Edible or Toxic?
Toxicity Information:
Albino Penis Envy Revert, like all Psilocybe cubensis variants, contains psilocybin as its primary psychoactive component. Psilocybin is generally considered physiologically non-toxic at standard psychedelic doses. However, physiological and psychological toxicity can occur under excessive doses or unsafe set-and-setting conditions.
Common Adverse Effects:
- Nausea, disorientation, dizziness, temporary anxiety
- Increased heart rate and visual/perceptual disturbances
- Risk for those with personal or family history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychoses
High Dose Risks:
At very high doses (5+ grams dry), hallucinogen-induced psychosis, 'bad trips,' or anxiety attacks are possible. Though not life-threatening, these experiences can be psychologically distressing. No known fatal overdoses of psilocybin mushrooms alone exist.
Identification Risks:
Improper identification can lead to consumption of toxic mushrooms similar in appearance (e.g., Galerina marginata). Since APE Revert is an indoor-cultivated strain, confusion is fewer in controlled environments.
What are the Medicinal Uses for APE Revert?
While Albino Penis Envy Revert is not typically studied in controlled medical research settings, its primary active compound, psilocybin, has received substantial scientific attention due to its potent psychoactive and broadly therapeutic properties.
Potential Therapeutic Benefits:
- Mental Health Applications: Psilocybin has demonstrated efficacy in treating treatment-resistant depression, anxiety—especially in terminally ill patients—obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse disorders including alcoholism and nicotine addiction
- Introspective Benefits: Due to its relatively high psilocybin levels, APE Revert is practically relevant in small-scale therapeutic contexts and ceremonial use, with reports of enhanced introspection, emotional catharsis, and temporary ego dissolution
- Neurological Reset Effects: Anecdotal reports suggest moderate doses can provide improved mental clarity, reduced anxiety, and creative problem-solving ability in the days and weeks following a session
- Entourage Effects: As part of a whole-fungus experience, this strain may offer synergistic effects from flavonoids, tryptamines, and related alkaloids present in cubensis mushrooms
Important: Though not a substitute for prescribed pharmaceuticals, psilocybin from strains like APE Revert can potentially serve as a complementary tool in integrative mental health strategies when administered responsibly and under safe frameworks.
Does APE Revert Have Nutritional Value?
Albino Penis Envy Revert, like most Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, is not typically consumed for its nutritional value, but it does share the same basic macronutrient and micronutrient composition associated with culinary mushrooms—albeit in smaller quantities due to the low doses used.
Per 100 grams of fresh mushroom (which would be a high psychedelic dose):
- Calories: ~35 kcal
- Protein: ~3.3g
- Carbohydrates: ~5.4g
- Dietary fiber: ~2g
- Fat: ~0.3g
Micronutrients (trace amounts):
- Vitamin D (variable amounts depending on UV exposure)
- Potassium, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc
- Unique bioactive compounds: psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin, and norbaeocystin
Note: Because psychedelic mushrooms are generally consumed in dried form and in small amounts (e.g., 1–3g), the actual nutritional intake is negligible. One gram of dried mushroom might equate to less than five calories, with trace amounts of micronutrients.
What Drugs Interact with APE Revert?
Interactions with Prescription Medications:
- SSRIs and Antidepressants: Many selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can dampen the effects of psilocybin due to competitive occupancy at serotonin receptors. Some users may report needing higher doses, although this can be dangerous
- MAOIs: Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (both pharmaceutical and natural ones like Syrian Rue) can significantly potentiate psilocybin's effects, extending and intensifying the trip, potentially causing emotional and sensory overload
- Lithium: Lithium used for bipolar disorder is notably dangerous when combined with psychedelics. Several case reports have involved seizures and severe health complications
Other Substances:
- Alcohol: Can dull introspective and sensory-enhancing effects while increasing nausea, dehydration, or bad trips due to poor mental clarity
- Cannabis: Can either potentiate or calm the experience, depending on timing and strain. Some find it helps with nausea or anxiety, while others report more confusion or paranoia
Important: Users considering mixing substances should consult a therapist or psychedelic integration specialist. Where possible, abstaining from combinations allows for more predictable and meaningful experiences.
What Mushrooms Look Like APE Revert?
Albino Penis Envy Revert may resemble a few other Psilocybe cubensis strains and should be carefully distinguished in mushroom identification and cultivation contexts:
- Golden Teacher / B+: These popular cubensis strains share similar cap shapes and coloration but usually have darker golden hues and more consistently shaped fruiting bodies. APE Revert is paler and slightly bulkier in the stem
- Leucistic Cubensis: Leucistic strains like Leucistic Burma or Leucistic A+ may have similar pale appearances but usually feature wider caps and thinner stems. They also sporulate differently
- PE Uncut or PE6: These variants stem from the Penis Envy family and may resemble APE Revert; however, their caps tend to stay sealed longer and show denser stem bodies
Toxic lookalikes (for foragers):
- Galerina marginata (Deadly Galerina): Deadly toxic and can resemble pale cubensis in some immature stages
- Conocybe or Hypholoma species: May mimic small pale caps in early growth
Safety Note: Correct identification via spore prints, cap morphology, and habitat differentiation is essential to avoid confusion and ensure safe use.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational, taxonomy, and research purposes only. Always consult a trained professional before attempting to identify any mushroom. Always consult a trained healthcare professional before attempting to ingest any mushroom. Do not message asking if we sell cultures or spores, all requests will be ignored. Always respect your local laws.
