Welcome to Mushroom World
Step into the enchanting world of fungi with Mushroom World – your trusted companion for learning about mushrooms.
Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned nature enthusiast, our site provides clear, accessible information and beautiful images to help you better understand and appreciate the mushrooms you encounter.
If you're curious about what fungi actually are, and how they differ from plants and animals, be sure to visit our what are fungi? page for an easy-to-understand explanation.
With thousands of mushroom species known to science, we've chosen to focus on the most common and easily recognisable ones. Each entry includes helpful descriptions, identification tips, and high-quality images, and we’re always working to expand our collection with new species and updated content.
Come and explore the wonders of mushrooms with us. We hope you find our site informative, inspiring, and a valuable resource on your journey of mushroom discovery.
What you can do on Mushroom World
Browse the database
Explore mushrooms from the alphabetical list or search by name or properties.
Identify a mushroom
Know some characteristics but not the name? Use our mushroom identification helper to narrow it down.
New to identification? Start with identification basics.
Test your knowledge
Try our identification quiz and see how many mushrooms you recognise. Each run gives you new questions.
Upload your photos
Have good mushroom photos to share? Use the upload form and we will see if we can include them on the site.
Today's Mushroom
A quick highlight from our database
Today's mushroom is Lacrymaria lacrymabunda (Weeping Widow). It grows in Europe, North America.
Dimensions: Cap 2-10 cm diameter, stem 4-8 cm tall * 0.5-1 cm diameter
Description:
Lacrymaria lacrymabunda, also known as the Weeping Widow, is a medium-sized agaric with a yellowish-brown cap with a ragged margin, dark brown gills, and a ring zone. It grows solitary or in tufts, on soil among grass by paths in woods and on roadside verges.
Cap ochraceous-tan, becomes darker brown. It starts off convex and broadly umbonate, then expands. Initially, it is woolly and fibrous but becomes smooth over time, with a ragged margin and velar remnants. The flesh is ochraceous-brown, rather soft and thick at the centre. Gills adnexed to free, start off yellow-brown with a pale edge, but darken to mottled dark brown and eventually black with spores. When moist, the gill edges retain black watery droplets. Stem paler brown than the cap but becomes more russet towards the base. It has a fibrous texture and features a ring zone of pale fibers that quickly get stained black by falling spores. The stem remains approximately equal in size throughout. Spore print black.
Microscopic Features: The spores are ellipsoidal to lemon-shaped, warty, measuring 8-11 x 5-7μm, and possess a germ pore.
Synonyms: Lacrymaria velutina is seen as a synonym by some authors.
Lacrymaria lacrymabunda on the First Nature Web site.
Lacrymaria velutina on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.
If you are interested in this mushroom, look it up in our database for more detailed photographs and additional information.
Many mushrooms are poisonous, and some can be lethally toxic. Distinguishing between edible and poisonous mushrooms can be very challenging. Therefore, we strongly advise against consuming wild mushrooms. This website does not contain any information about the edibility or toxicity of mushrooms.
Although efforts have been made to ensure accuracy on this website, the information may contain errors and omissions. Therefore, all content provided is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be relied upon or used as a basis for consuming any plants or mushrooms.
External links are provided for reference only. We do not endorse or take responsibility for the content, advice, or products found on these sites or in any advertisements shown on this website.