Being from an environment with an elevation of over 1100 meters, the spores of the Ecuador mushroom is of particular interest to researchers who are looking into the strain’s resiliency and ability to survive in harsher weather and lower temperatures than other strains. This also makes it strong and resistant to contamination, which can only help amateur microscopists and researchers, although they are also known to be slower colonizers of substrates when compared with others. The Ecuador mushroom has been used throughout the Andean region by Mesoamerican cultures since 3000BC, so it has a long history of human use.
The spores of this variety are a dark purple brown with a diameter of 11.5-17µm, with the common ellipsoid shape that most mushroom spores exhibit.
The caps of this mushroom when mature are on average 20-50mm or more in diameter, and often with a nipple on the top when mature. The cap, described as being “spade shaped”, maintains its convex bulb shape even into maturity with a caramel brown color.
The stem is commonly a white color with some shades of yellow, and thick and very dense compared with other varieties. The stem also grows between 40 and 150mm or higher, and when touched or damaged, produces a blue coloration rather than the normal blueish green.
Before purchasing any mushroom spores, make sure that you check your local state law to ensure that you can legally purchase mushroom spores. While it is legal throughout many parts of the U.S., some states still do not permit the sale of mushroom spores.
