Changeable Rock-moss vs Fly Agaric

Andreaea mutabilis compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Changeable 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 mutabilis	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Changeable Rock-moss

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Changeable Rock-moss

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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).

Changeable Rock-moss

The Changeable Rock-moss (Andreaea mutabilis) is a species in the genus Andreaea. Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.