
Mycoworld Journal
Are spore syringes legal in the UK? The microscopy position, explained plainly
It is the first question most people type, and the answer has two halves. Spores can be bought, sold, owned and studied in the UK. Growing them cannot. Here is the line, why it sits where it does, and what it means in practice.
In this issue
55 stories · numbered as printed- 01Spore syringes in the UK: the buyer's checklist before you orderBuying spores in the UK · 3 min
- 02Are spore syringes legal in the UK? The microscopy position, explained plainlyBuying spores in the UK · 3 min
- 03How to store spore syringes: shelf life, temperature and what actually degrades themBuying spores in the UK · 2 min
- 04Spore syringe delivery in the UK: what to expect from order to letterboxBuying spores in the UK · 2 min
- 05Comparing UK spore vendors: seven questions worth asking before you orderBuying spores in the UK · 2 min
- 06Bluey Vuitton spores in the UK: the buyer and microscopist guideBuying spores in the UK · 6 min
- 07What is a spore syringe? A beginner's guide for microscopyGetting started · 3 min
- 08Spore syringe vs spore print vs spore swab: which format for microscopy?Getting started · 2 min
- 09Isolated genetics explained: what "iso" means on a spore syringeGetting started · 2 min
- 10How to read a strain name: f2, iso, x and the words on a spore syringe labelGetting started · 2 min
- 11Starting a spore collection for microscopy: a beginner's guide to the first five specimensGetting started · 2 min
- 12How to view mushroom spores under a microscope: slide prep, magnification and what to recordMicroscopy technique · 2 min
- 13Choosing a microscope for spore study in the UK: what matters and what does notMicroscopy technique · 2 min
- 14What magnification do you need to see mushroom spores?Microscopy technique · 2 min
- 15Psilocybe cubensis spore morphology: shape, size, wall and germ pore under the microscopeMicroscopy technique · 2 min
- 16Spore print colour: what purple-brown, black, white and pale grey tell youMicroscopy technique · 2 min
- 17Contamination under the microscope: telling bacteria, mould and debris from sporesMicroscopy technique · 2 min
- 18Jack Frost: the history of an albino cross and what its spores look likeStrain histories · 3 min
- 19Penis Envy and Albino Penis Envy: the history behind the most-studied cubensis lineStrain histories · 3 min
- 20Golden Teacher: the history of the most recognisable cubensis strainStrain histories · 2 min
- 21Natalensis and Ochra explained: why a species was renamed and what it means on the labelStrain histories · 3 min
- 22Panaeolus cyanescens: a different genus, and what its black spores look like under the microscopeStrain histories · 2 min
- 23DreadMaw and Gamma Decay: an Australian cross and the isolate taken from itStrain histories · 2 min
- 24Blue Ravioli and its crosses: Blue Voodoo, Gamma Decay, Auric Stew and Blue VootwoStrain histories · 2 min
- 25Tidal Wave, Enigma and the blob mutations: why a famous line has no spores of its ownStrain histories · 2 min
- 26Australian genetics: What The Fungi, Sporexchange and the wild lines behind the libraryStrain histories · 2 min
- 27The A.C.S and Mushrealm lines: American isolates in the MycoWorld libraryStrain histories · 2 min
- 28How spore syringes are made: the sterile protocol behind every MycoWorld LOTBehind the library · 2 min
- 29How long do spores stay intact? Age, storage and what "viable" means for microscopyBehind the library · 2 min
- 30Albino, leucistic and true albino: what the words mean and how to tell them apart on a slideBehind the library · 2 min
- 31Mushroom lineage explained: what a cross is, how isolates descend from it, and how to read the lineage explorerBehind the library · 3 min
- 32MFH Ape: the Manna From Heaven APE isolationMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 33ACS Ochra: an isolated Psilocybe ochraceocentrata lineMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 34ACS ABV440: the numbered Albino Bluey Vuitton selectionMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 35Green Toque: a Toque isolation, and the Toque familyMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 36MRRL (Melmak Revert): what a revert is and why it mattersMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 37Blue Vootwo: the A.C.S isolation of Blue VoodooMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 38El Toque f2 (El Choco x Toque f8): reading a pedigree in fullMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 39Hellmonkey (Hellhound x SpaceMonkey): a documented A.C.S crossMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 40Project Bluebook (CG isolation): the ClemGrows selectionMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 41Snape 50: the Starry Night APE line, worked by KodamaMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 42Lucid Gates: an A.C.S isolate, and the Gates naming conventionMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 43Whitebilly: a pale A.C.S line, and how to test what pale meansMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 44Smokey Da Ghost: what Ghost means on a strain cardMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 45YV2B (YAK Mutant): an unstable line, and why that is interestingMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 46Albino Saturn Tidepool: an albino A.C.S line for contrast workMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 47Albino Bluey Vuitton (ACS iso): the albino side of a 2014 hybridMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 48Bluey Vuitton: a 2014 hybrid of Panama and Melmac Penis EnvyMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 49EMP (Electro Magnetic Psilocybe): what the card actually recordsMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 50Indian Graveyard: a spiral flower mutation, and what that meansMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 51Toque x Jack Frost: a cross into the albino familyMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 52Iceberg Clam 456: a numbered isolate, and a note on listingsMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 53Steel Water: an A.C.S line, and how restocking worksMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 54Galaxy Ape: the APE isolation that was only ever given awayMushrealm genetics · 3 min
- 55Blue Voodoo: the interspecies cross behind Blue VootwoMushrealm genetics · 3 min
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Buying spores in the UK
What to check before you order, what the law actually says, and what arrives in the post.
The whole chapter →
Buying spores in the UKNo. 01Spore syringes in the UK: the buyer's checklist before you order
Buying spore syringes in the UK for microscopy? The checklist that separates a genetics library from a reseller: sterile prep, LOT logging, honest isolate labels, documented lineage and UK dispatch.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Buying spores in the UKNo. 02Are spore syringes legal in the UK? The microscopy position, explained plainly
Are mushroom spore syringes legal in the UK? Spores are sold and studied lawfully for microscopy; cultivation is not. A plain explanation of the line, what it means for buyers, and how MycoWorld supplies.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Buying spores in the UKNo. 03How to store spore syringes: shelf life, temperature and what actually degrades them
How to store spore syringes properly: fridge temperature, light, the cap and seal, why freezing ruins them, how to spot a degraded specimen, and how MycoWorld stores its own library.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Buying spores in the UKNo. 04Spore syringe delivery in the UK: what to expect from order to letterbox
How MycoWorld ships spore syringes in the UK: one to two working day dispatch, tracked Royal Mail, discreet unbranded packaging, £3.80 shipping and free over £75, and what to do when the parcel arrives.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Buying spores in the UKNo. 05Comparing UK spore vendors: seven questions worth asking before you order
How to compare UK spore syringe suppliers: sterile preparation, LOT logging, isolates and lineage, breeder credit, stock freshness, dispatch and support. How MycoWorld answers each one.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Buying spores in the UKNo. 06Bluey Vuitton spores in the UK: the buyer and microscopist guide
Bluey Vuitton spores in the UK: the Panama x Melmac Penis Envy record, the whole ABV family in one place, what arrives in a 10ml syringe, and how the line reads under the objective.
22 September 2026 · 6 min read · Read →Getting started
The formats, the words on the label and the first five specimens worth owning.
The whole chapter →
Getting startedNo. 07What is a spore syringe? A beginner's guide for microscopy
A spore syringe is sterile water carrying the spores of a named strain, sealed for the microscope. What is in it, how it is made, how to use it on a slide and how long it keeps.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Getting startedNo. 08Spore syringe vs spore print vs spore swab: which format for microscopy?
Syringe, print or swab? Each format suits a different kind of microscopy work. How they are made, what they show under the objective, how they store and which to choose.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Getting startedNo. 09Isolated genetics explained: what "iso" means on a spore syringe
Isolated spore syringe, iso, isolate: what the words mean, how an isolate differs from a multispore line, and why isolated genetics matter for consistent microscopy.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Getting startedNo. 10How to read a strain name: f2, iso, x and the words on a spore syringe label
What do f2, iso, x, revert and leucistic mean on a spore syringe label? A plain decoder for strain names, crosses and generations, using real examples from the MycoWorld library.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Getting startedNo. 11Starting a spore collection for microscopy: a beginner's guide to the first five specimens
A beginner's plan for a microscopy spore collection: which five specimens to start with, how to keep records, how to store and compare, and how to grow the collection by lineage.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →Microscopy technique
Slides, objectives, magnification, measurement and the things on a slide that are not spores.
The whole chapter →
Microscopy techniqueNo. 12How to view mushroom spores under a microscope: slide prep, magnification and what to record
A practical guide to spore microscopy: preparing a wet mount from a spore syringe, which magnification to use, measuring spores with a graticule, and what to write in your notebook.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Microscopy techniqueNo. 13Choosing a microscope for spore study in the UK: what matters and what does not
What microscope do you need to study mushroom spores? Compound not stereo, 400x as the working magnification, a 100x oil objective for detail, and the features worth paying for.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Microscopy techniqueNo. 14What magnification do you need to see mushroom spores?
Mushroom spores are visible at 100x, clear at 400x and fully resolved at 1000x with oil. What each magnification shows, why more is not better, and how to measure what you see.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Microscopy techniqueNo. 15Psilocybe cubensis spore morphology: shape, size, wall and germ pore under the microscope
What Psilocybe cubensis spores look like at 400x and 1000x: subellipsoid, 11 to 17 micrometres, thick-walled with a germ pore, purple-brown in mass. How to measure and record them and how strains differ.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Microscopy techniqueNo. 16Spore print colour: what purple-brown, black, white and pale grey tell you
Spore print colour is a primary taxonomic character. What purple-brown, black, rusty, white and pale grey deposits mean, how to read density and pattern, and how to store a print.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Microscopy techniqueNo. 17Contamination under the microscope: telling bacteria, mould and debris from spores
How to recognise bacteria, mould spores, yeast and debris on a spore slide, what a contaminated syringe looks like, and how sterile preparation keeps a specimen clean.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →Strain histories
Where the lines came from, who bred them and what their spores look like.
The whole chapter →
Strain historiesNo. 18Jack Frost: the history of an albino cross and what its spores look like
Jack Frost is a cross of True Albino Teacher and Albino Penis Envy that appeared around 2020. Its origins, the crosses bred from it, and what its translucent spores show under the microscope.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 19Penis Envy and Albino Penis Envy: the history behind the most-studied cubensis line
The disputed origins of Penis Envy, how Albino Penis Envy (APE) came from it, why the line drops so few spores, and the APE crosses and isolates catalogued at MycoWorld.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 20Golden Teacher: the history of the most recognisable cubensis strain
Golden Teacher appeared in the late 1980s from an unknown source and became the reference cubensis. Its history, its albino isolation True Albino Teacher, and what its spores look like on a slide.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 21Natalensis and Ochra explained: why a species was renamed and what it means on the label
Why MycoWorld labels list "Ochra (prev. Natalensis)": the cultivated natalensis lines were re-described as Psilocybe ochraceocentrata. The taxonomy, the Natal Moon cross and what the spores show.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 22Panaeolus cyanescens: a different genus, and what its black spores look like under the microscope
Panaeolus cyanescens is not a Psilocybe. Its jet-black spores, the Australian and Caribbean isolates in the MycoWorld Pan Cyans collection, and how to tell it from cubensis on a slide.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 23DreadMaw and Gamma Decay: an Australian cross and the isolate taken from it
Gamma Decay is a What The Fungi cross of Blue Ravioli and Black Betty Gates. DreadMaw is the isolate selected from it. The lineage, the breeder and what to look for under the microscope.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 24Blue Ravioli and its crosses: Blue Voodoo, Gamma Decay, Auric Stew and Blue Vootwo
Blue Ravioli is the parent behind Blue Voodoo, Gamma Decay, Auric Stew and the A.C.S Blue Vootwo isolate. Where the line came from, what the name means and how the family compares under the microscope.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 25Tidal Wave, Enigma and the blob mutations: why a famous line has no spores of its own
Tidal Wave is a B+ x Penis Envy cross. Enigma is its blob mutation, which produces no spores at all. What that means for a spore library, and the Tidal Wave family MycoWorld catalogues.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 26Australian genetics: What The Fungi, Sporexchange and the wild lines behind the library
Half the MycoWorld library is bred in Australia. The What The Fungi and Sporexchange collections, the wild landrace and Panaeolus isolates, and why Australian lines are worth studying.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Strain historiesNo. 27The A.C.S and Mushrealm lines: American isolates in the MycoWorld library
The A.C.S batch brought American isolates of Blue Voodoo, Ochra, ABV440 and more into the library via the Mushrealm collection. What A.C.S cuts are, how they relate to the original breeders, and what to compare.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →Behind the library
How a syringe is made, how long it lasts, and how lineage and pigment actually work.
The whole chapter →
Behind the libraryNo. 28How spore syringes are made: the sterile protocol behind every MycoWorld LOT
Inside the preparation of a MycoWorld spore syringe: the flow hood, sterile water, the logged print, filling and capping, the LOT record and refrigeration. Why the process is what you are paying for.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Behind the libraryNo. 29How long do spores stay intact? Age, storage and what "viable" means for microscopy
How long mushroom spores stay intact in a syringe or print, what changes as a specimen ages, how to tell an old specimen on the slide, and why the LOT date matters more than any shelf-life number.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Behind the libraryNo. 30Albino, leucistic and true albino: what the words mean and how to tell them apart on a slide
Albino, leucistic and "true albino" mean different things on a strain card. What each says about pigment in the fruiting body and the spores, how to test it with a print, and the albino lines in the MycoWorld library.
20 September 2026 · 2 min read · Read →
Behind the libraryNo. 31Mushroom lineage explained: what a cross is, how isolates descend from it, and how to read the lineage explorer
How mushroom strain lineage works: what a cross is, how a breeder selects an isolate from it, what f numbers mean, and how to read the MycoWorld lineage explorer to trace any strain back to its parents.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →Mushrealm genetics
Every Mushrealm and A.C.S line in the library, one strain at a time.
The whole chapter →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 32MFH Ape: the Manna From Heaven APE isolation
MFH Ape is an isolation of Manna From Heaven APE, carried in the Mushrealm collection. The APE family, why it drops so few spores and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 33ACS Ochra: an isolated Psilocybe ochraceocentrata line
ACS Ochra is an isolated Psilocybe ochraceocentrata line, the species once called natalensis. Its lineage, why the name changed and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 34ACS ABV440: the numbered Albino Bluey Vuitton selection
ACS ABV440 is a numbered A.C.S selection from Albino Bluey Vuitton. What ABV means, where the line came from and where to buy the syringe in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 35Green Toque: a Toque isolation, and the Toque family
Green Toque is an isolation of the Toque line, carried in the Mushrealm collection. The Toque family, the three Toque cards MycoWorld carries and where to buy it.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 36MRRL (Melmak Revert): what a revert is and why it matters
MRRL is a Melmak Revert in the Mushrealm collection: a line that came back to a pigmented form. What a revert is and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 37Blue Vootwo: the A.C.S isolation of Blue Voodoo
Blue Vootwo is the A.C.S isolation of Blue Voodoo, the What The Fungi cross of Blue Ravioli and Natal Moon. Its lineage and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 38El Toque f2 (El Choco x Toque f8): reading a pedigree in full
El Toque f2 is a ClusterDuckMycology cross of El Choco and Toque f8. What the f numbers mean, how it relates to the other Toque cards and where to buy it.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 39Hellmonkey (Hellhound x SpaceMonkey): a documented A.C.S cross
Hellmonkey is a Maniacal Mycology cross of Hellhound and SpaceMonkey, worked by A.C.S. Its lineage, its spores and where to buy the syringe in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 40Project Bluebook (CG isolation): the ClemGrows selection
Project Bluebook is a ClemGrows isolation in the A.C.S collection. What CG means on the card, what its spores show and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 41Snape 50: the Starry Night APE line, worked by Kodama
Snape 50 is an isolate of SNAPE, Starry Night APE, originally worked by Kodama. The APE family, its spores and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 42Lucid Gates: an A.C.S isolate, and the Gates naming convention
Lucid Gates is an isolated A.C.S line at MycoWorld. What the card records, what the Gates naming convention points at and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 43Whitebilly: a pale A.C.S line, and how to test what pale means
Whitebilly is an isolated A.C.S line at MycoWorld. What the name signals, how to test albino against leucistic with one print, and where to buy it.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 44Smokey Da Ghost: what Ghost means on a strain card
Smokey Da Ghost is an isolated A.C.S line at MycoWorld. What Ghost signals in a strain name, how to verify it with a print and where to buy it.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 45YV2B (YAK Mutant): an unstable line, and why that is interesting
YV2B is catalogued as an unstable YAK mutation in the A.C.S collection. What an unstable mutation means for a spore library and where to buy it.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 46Albino Saturn Tidepool: an albino A.C.S line for contrast work
Albino Saturn Tidepool is an albino isolate in the A.C.S collection. What the name records, how to verify the albinism and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 47Albino Bluey Vuitton (ACS iso): the albino side of a 2014 hybrid
Albino Bluey Vuitton is the unpigmented form of the Bluey Vuitton hybrid, isolated by A.C.S. Its lineage back to Panama and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 48Bluey Vuitton: a 2014 hybrid of Panama and Melmac Penis Envy
Bluey Vuitton is a hybrid of Panama and Melmac Penis Envy, worked from around 2014 by Silly Cybin. Its history, its albino lines and where to buy it.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 49EMP (Electro Magnetic Psilocybe): what the card actually records
EMP, Electro Magnetic Psilocybe, is a cubensis line at MycoWorld. What the catalogue records, what its spores show and where to buy it in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 50Indian Graveyard: a spiral flower mutation, and what that means
Indian Graveyard is catalogued as a Shakti Ghost spiral flower mutation. What a mutation card means for a spore library and where to buy the syringe.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 51Toque x Jack Frost: a cross into the albino family
Toque x Jack Frost crosses the Toque line with the albino Jack Frost. What each parent brings, what the spores show and where to buy the syringe.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 52Iceberg Clam 456: a numbered isolate, and a note on listings
Iceberg Clam 456 is a numbered isolate at MycoWorld. What the number means, what the card records and where to buy the syringe in the UK.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 53Steel Water: an A.C.S line, and how restocking works
Steel Water is an isolated A.C.S line at MycoWorld, currently between batches. What the card records and how to buy it when it returns.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 54Galaxy Ape: the APE isolation that was only ever given away
Galaxy Ape is an APE isolation by myceguy, who gives it away rather than selling it. How it reached MycoWorld and how to buy it when it returns.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →
Mushrealm geneticsNo. 55Blue Voodoo: the interspecies cross behind Blue Vootwo
Blue Voodoo is Q of What The Fungi's cross of Blue Ravioli and Natal Moon, an interspecies hybrid. Its lineage, its phenotypes and how to buy it.
20 September 2026 · 3 min read · Read →Ready to look closer?
Studied isolates and documented crosses, prepared under sterile protocol and LOT-logged, dispatched from the UK.
Every specimen on MycoWorld is supplied strictly for microscopy, taxonomy and research. Nothing here is a cultivation product and we do not provide or endorse cultivation guidance. 18+ only. Read the Legal Use Policy.