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 Pholiota aurivella (Golden Scalycap). It grows in North America, Europe, New Zealand.
Dimensions: Cap 4-15 cm diameter, stem 5-18 cm tall * 0.5-1.5 cm thick
Description:
Pholiota aurivella, also known as Golden Scalycap, is a medium to large, orange-yellow, rounded agaric with scattered, reddish-orange scales embedded in the surface. It typically grows on decaying wood, such as stumps or fallen trees, and is found in temperate regions of Europe and North America.
Cap convex to broadly humped, bright golden yellow to rusty brown, with a slimy or greasy surface covered in darker-brown scales that sometimes disappear in rain. Gills close, adnate (broadly attached) and cream-coloured when young, turning reddish-brown as the spores develop. Stem central or off center, cylindrical, solid, firm, lemon-yellow but becoming browner with age. Surface cottony above the poorly developed ring, fibrillose to scaly below. The stem flesh is yellowish and fibrous. Spore print reddish-brown.
Microscopic Features: The spores are ellipsoidal and smooth, measuring 6.5-10 x 4-6μm. They possess a noticeable germ pore.
Pholiota aurivella on the First Nature 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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