Alpine Rock-moss vs Fly Agaric

Andreaea hookeri compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Alpine Rock-moss is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine Rock-moss	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Andreaeopsida (Andreaeopsida)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Andreaeales (Andreaeales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Andreaeaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Andreaea	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Andreaea hookeri	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Alpine Rock-moss

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine Rock-moss	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine Rock-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Alpine Rock-moss

The Alpine Rock-moss (Andreaea hookeri) is a species in the genus Andreaea. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.