Birch Jelly vs Fly Agaric

Exidia repanda compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Birch Jelly is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Birch Jelly	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Auriculariales (Auriculariales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Auriculariaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Exidia	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Exidia repanda	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Birch Jelly and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Class level: Agaricomycetes. (Mushrooms)

Conservation Status

Birch Jelly

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Birch Jelly

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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).

Birch Jelly

The Birch Jelly (Exidia repanda) is a species in the genus Exidia. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States