Warning: Tasty Mushroom Contains Powerful Hallucinogen

Lanmaoa asiatica is a bolete mushroom highly prized for its delicious taste and widely popular in Yunnan province, China, where it grows in a symbiotic relationship with pine trees. However, those who eat it must exercise caution: the mushroom induces powerful hallucinations featuring numerous tiny people about two centimeters tall, dressed in brightly colored clothes, who jump, run, climb, and play in an otherwise normal, real-world setting. The visions are reminiscent of the characters in the hit BBC series "Small Prophets," though without their psychic powers. Despite the intense effects, Lanmaoa is completely unrelated to psilocybin-containing "magic mushrooms," which trigger wide-ranging hallucinations for a few hours. The hallucinogenic compound in Lanmaoa remains unidentified; it is currently being researched by Colin Domnauer at the University of Utah. What is known is that the visions can last for days and that the hallucinogen can be destroyed by cooking the mushroom for 15 minutes before consumption. So far, Lanmaoa asiatica has only been found in Yunnan and one location in the Philippines, making it a rare and regionally specific species.