Spore print purple-brown to black. Small to medium-sized mushrooms, the cap dull brownish or yellowish typically slightly tacky when fresh. Gills attached, stalk central, no ring (at least in the New Zealand species). Saprobic, on soil, on dung, on wood in native forests, in urban areas on wood chip mulches.

There are at least 8 species in New Zealand, at least 2 of which are indigenous.

Some species of Psilocybe turn blue with damage, and these contain the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin. Psilocybe can be difficult to distinguish from other small, brown mushrooms in genera such as Galerina and Inocybe, both of which include poisonous species. Stropharia, often found in similar situations, is more brightly coloured.

Most Psilocybe and all Stropharia species are introduced to New Zealand, and are common and widespread in human habitats such as rough pastures and wood chip mulches. Some Psilocybe species are found on dung.

Spore prints of both species often have a lilac tinge; they are distinguished by the occurence of chrysocystidia in Stropharia.

About 10 species have been reported from New Zealand, only those listed below have descriptions or images available from NZFungi.

Secotioid basidiomycetes with well-developed stalks. All with smooth, brown spores with a germ pore. Probably an unnatural, polyphyletic group. At least one New Zealand species, W. erythrocephala, is closely related to Leratiomyces similis, a morphologically similar genus from New Caledonia.

Three species have been reported from New Zealand; all are common and easily distinguished by colour. Saprobes on wood and soil.

Distinguished microscopically from the superficially similar Nivatogastrium (also with 3 New Zealand species, but less common) microscopically.

Saprobe on wood and soil. Secotioid basidiomycetes, distinguished from Nivatogastrium by a lack of chrysocystidia.

Three species have been reported from New Zealand, only those listed below have descriptions or images available from NZFungi.