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 Protostropharia alcis (Dung Roundhead). It grows in Europe.
Dimensions: Cap 1-4 cm diameter, stem 3-12 cm tall * 0.1-0.5 cm thick
Description:
Protostropharia alcis is a dung-inhabiting mushroom that produces medium-sized fruiting bodies, usually with a convex to broadly conic cap that may be sticky and shades of light brown. The gills are pale grey at first, later turning purplish grey to purple-black as the spores mature. The stem is slender, often with a persistent white ring and shaggy or scaly zones below it. This species is typically found growing on moose and elk droppings, sometimes in groups, and is adapted to nutrient-rich dung habitats.
Cap at first hemispherical to broadly conical, later becoming convex to nearly flat with a slight umbo. The surface is smooth, viscid when moist, and coloured light yellow-brown to golden-brown, often fading paler towards the margin with age. Young specimens may show faint veil remnants near the edge. Gills crowded and adnexed to adnate, initially pale grey, gradually darkening through brownish-grey to deep purple-black as spores mature. Stem slender and equal, whitish to pale yellowish, bearing a distinct but often short-lived ring. Above the ring the stem is dusted with dark spores, while the lower portion is fibrous and may show faint shaggy scales or girdles. Spore print dark purple-brown.
Microscopic Features: Spores smooth, ellipsoidal to ovoid, thick-walled, measuring 15–19 × 8–10 μm, lacking a germ pore.
Protostropharia alcis on the inaturalist.org 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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