Melmac

Description

Melmac is a stabilized relative of the Penis Envy lineage, also circulated over the years under the name Homestead Penis Envy. The name is a reference to the fictional home planet in the 1980s television series ALF, one of several instances of the mycology community naming strains after whatever was in the room at the time.

Melmac inherits the structural signature of the PE family. It presents thick, dense stems supporting meaty caps that are noticeably more substantial than a conventional cubensis, and it holds that structure through maturity. Where it differs from strict Penis Envy is in cap development: Melmac caps open more completely, producing a broader gill surface.

That difference is precisely what makes Melmac valuable to a spore collector. Penis Envy and Albino Penis Envy are famously poor depositors because their caps never fully open, which is why their spore products cost what they do and why supply across the industry is inconsistent. Melmac gives you the PE structural morphology in a specimen that will actually drop a usable print. For anyone wanting to study the PE lineage under a scope without fighting a sparse deposit, Melmac is the practical route in.

The line has a strong and durable enthusiast following, and several documented offshoots including Thrasher have been developed from it.

Our Melmac line is maintained in our Colorado library.

Available as a 10cc multispore syringe, stabilized isolate syringe, or archival foil print. Microscopy, taxonomy, and educational research only.

Microscopy data tab:
Spore print color: Dark purple brown to near black
Spore shape: Subellipsoid
Spore dimensions: Approx. 12 to 17 μm x 8 to 11 μm
Germ pore: Prominent
Deposit density: Moderate.
Substantially better than strict PE.
Difficulty to observe: Intermediate