Beck Pocket-moss vs Fly Agaric

Fissidens rufulus compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Beck Pocket-moss is Extinct while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beck Pocket-moss	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Dicranales (Dicranales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Fissidentaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Fissidens	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Fissidens rufulus	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Beck Pocket-moss

EX — Extinct

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beck Pocket-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg, 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).

Beck Pocket-moss

The Beck Pocket-moss (Fissidens rufulus) is a species in the genus Fissidens. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.