Big-cone Pinyon vs Fly Agaric

Pinus maximartinezii compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Big-cone Pinyon is Endangered while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big-cone Pinyon	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Coniferophyta (Conifers)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Pinopsida (Conifers)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Pinales (Pines & Allies)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Pinaceae (Pine Family)	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Pinus (Pines)	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Pinus maximartinezii	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Big-cone Pinyon

EN — Endangered

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big-cone Pinyon	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big-cone Pinyon

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

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).

Big-cone Pinyon

The Big-cone Pinyon (Pinus maximartinezii) is a species in the genus Pinus. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

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.