Pileus/Cap: 15mm to 60mm. Broadly conic, expanding to broadly umbonate, becoming nearly plane in maturity, with edges becoming slightly upturned and often splitting with age. Bruising darkly blue, greenish or black where damaged. Dark reddish-brown / chestnut brown to yellow brown, striate to margin, hygrophanous, drying to pale yellow brown to straw coloured. 

 

Lamellae/Gills: Crowded, cream, darkening greyish yellow brown to dark purple brown with maturity, edges whitish.

 

Stipe/Stem: 35 to 100mm long by 1.5 to 5mm thick. Floccose - when undisturbed the lower portion is covered with whitish silky fibrils that can appear scale-like, the upper portion is punctate - marked with fine holes. These ornamentations are often worn away with age and handling, leaving a smoother surface. Whitish to caramel yellow or reddish purple. Flesh brownish.

 

Bruising and spore print: This species shows very intense dark blue to almost black staining when damaged. Spore colour is dark purple brown.

 

Distribution and habitat: Found generally in the Auckland region but also reported from Dargaville, Russel and Whangarei. Fruits approximately from May to August. Can be found in native bush but mostly in Pinus radiata forests, often fruiting from sloping clay banks.

 

Comments: Although published as Psilocybe aucklandii, this nomenclature is incorrect and outdated, ‘aucklandiae’ is the correct species epithet.