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 Gyromitra esculenta (False Morel). It grows in North America, Europe.
Dimensions: 5-15 cm diameter, 5-12 cm tall, including stem
Description:
Gyromitra esculenta, also known as False Morel, has a fruiting body that consists of an irregular, brown, brain-like structure on a pale stem. It grows solitary or in small trooping groups near conifers, typically on acid, sandy soils.
Cap irregularly shaped and reminds of a brain structure. Initially smooth, it becomes progressively more wrinkled as it grows and ages. The cap colour may be various shades of reddish-, chestnut-, purplish-, bay-, dark or sometimes golden brown. The flesh is thin, brittle, whitish to tan and chambered. Stem attached to the cap at several points. Gyromitra esculenta has an almost solid stipe with several irregular, tube-like hollows inside, whereas those of true morels (Morchella spp.) have just one hollow chamber. Spore print yellowish buff.
Microscopic Features: The spores are ellipsoidal and have a smooth surface. They measure approximately 8-13μm in length and 17-22μm in width. The spores are hyaline, meaning they are colourless and transparent. Typically, they contain two small oil drops, known as guttules, but occasionally they may have multiple guttules.
Similar species include Morchella esculenta and Morchella elata.
Gyromitra esculenta on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.
Gyromitra esculenta on the www.first-nature.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.