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 Hygrocybe cantharellus (Goblet Waxcap). It grows in Europe, North America and Australia.
Dimensions: Cap 1-3.5 cm diameter, stem 3-6 cm tall * 0.15-0.3 cm thick
Description:
Hygrocybe cantharellus, commonly known as the Chanterelle Waxcap, is a small, brightly coloured waxcap found in mossy grasslands and open woodland areas. It is recognised by its funnel-shaped, orange to reddish-orange cap and waxy, decurrent gills that resemble those of a chanterelle. This species typically appears in late summer to autumn and is notable for its graceful shape and vivid colouring.
Cap small, convex to flat and sometimes shallowly funnel-shaped with age, often finely scaly or fibrillose rather than smooth. It ranges in colour from reddish-orange to orange-red, fading paler towards the margin, which may become crenate with maturity. The surface is dry or slightly tacky but never slimy, and the flesh is thin, firm, and yellowish to orangish. Gills distinctly decurrent, rather thick and waxy, spaced moderately to widely, and pale yellow to yellow, sometimes deepening in colour with age. Stem slender, cylindrical, and dry, occasionally silkily fibrillose, coloured orange to reddish-orange and usually paler towards the base. It lacks a ring and is solid or slightly hollow in mature specimens. Spore print white.
Microscopic Features: Spores ellipsoidal or ovoid to pear-shaped, measuring 7–9 × 4.5–5.5 µm, and inamyloid.
Hygrocybe cantharellus on the First Nature web site.
Hygrocybe cantharellus 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.
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