Autumn Crocus vs Fly Agaric

Colchicum autumnale compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Autumn Crocus	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Liliales (Liliales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Colchicaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Colchicum	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Colchicum autumnale	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Autumn Crocus

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Autumn Crocus	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Autumn Crocus

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Libya), Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

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).

Autumn Crocus

The Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) is a species in the genus Colchicum. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Fly Agaric

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.