Welcome to Mushroom World

Step into the fascinating world of mushrooms with Mushroom World - your go-to resource for fungi information. Our site is a comprehensive resource offering information and stunning images of mushrooms. 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.

Since there are thousands of known species of mushrooms, we have tried to limit those we list to the most common ones. New species are also continuously added to the site.

So come on in 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.

Below is an overview of the main features and functionalities of our site.

Browse the database

You can browse the database from the alphabetical list or search the database based on mushroom names or properties.

Help identify a mushroom

If you know the characteristics of a mushroom but need help identifying it, try using our mushroom identification helper. It is a tool designed to assist you in identifying mushrooms that you may come across. If you're new to mushroom identification, be sure to check out our mushroom identification basics guide for an easy introduction to key features and terminology.

Identification Quiz

We have also created a quiz where you can test your fungi identification knowledge. You can repeat the quiz as many times as you want, each time with new questions.

Upload mushroom pictures

If you have pictures of mushrooms you would like to have included on our site, please use the upload form to upload these files and we will see if we can include them.

Today's Mushroom

Today's mushroom is Lycoperdon molle (Soft Puffball). It grows in Europe, North America.

Dimensions: 2.5-5.0 cm diameter * 2.5-6.0 cm tall

Description: Lycoperdon molle, also known as the Soft Puffball, is a small to medium-sized whitish or pale buff fungus with a roughly spherical to slightly flattened form.

Fruiting body pear-shaped to turbinate with a well-developed sterile base often pleated and attached to the ground by fine rhizoids. The outer surface is cream to pale buff when young, becoming tan to greyish-brown with age, covered in fine granules and short spines that may be solitary or in small groups with fused tips. The spore mass is white when immature, later turning yellowish-green and finally dark brown and powdery. Stem forming a distinct pseudostipe, coloured as the fertile head, sometimes swollen at the base and bearing shorter spines. Spores medium-brown spore deposit.

Microscopic Features: Spores 4.0–5.0 µm with ornamentation, round to nearly spherical, distinctly warted and containing a central oil droplet. Pedicel very short, less than 0.5 µm, with sterigmal remnants often present. Capillitial pores numerous, small, round to oval.

Lycoperdon molle on the www.mykoweb.com web site.

This site contains no information about the edibility or toxicity of the mushroom.

If you are interested in this mushroom, look it up in our database. You can find more detailed pictures there.

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.