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 Amanita phalloides (Death Cap Amanita). It grows in North America, Europe, Northern Africa and parts of Asia.
Dimensions: Cap 6-12 cm diameter, stem 7-12 cm tall * 1 - 1.5 cm thick
Description:
Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the Death Cap is a medium to large, fleshy agaric with a greenish olive cap, whitish stem, and ring, no patches but a distinctive volval sheath. As the volva, which may be hidden by leaf litter, is a distinctive and diagnostic feature. It is important to remove some debris to check for it.
Cap at first round to egg-shaped and then flat and varies greatly in colour from grey-white to green and yellow-brown, with darker innate radial fibrillae, which start from the centre and branch out towards the margin. Sometimes with lots of veil remnants. The margin is usually not striate. The flesh is white throughout, unchanging when sliced. Gills free, close or crowded, broad, white but sometimes with a slight greenish tint. Stem more or less equal, or it may taper towards the apex and flare towards the swollen base. The stem also features a white, skirt-like ring that typically persists but can sometimes be lost. Finally, the stem has a sack-like white volva that encases the base, which may be visible above ground or may be broken up or underground. Spore print white.
Microscopic Features: The spores are ellipsoidal to subglobose in shape, with a smooth surface. They measure 7.5-10 µm in length and 6-7 µm in width. They are inamyloid.
Amanita phalloides on the First Nature Web site.
Amanita phalloides on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.
The first photo is by Archenzo under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
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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