Cowbane Rust vs Fly Agaric

Puccinia cicutae compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Cowbane Rust is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cowbane Rust	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Pucciniaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Puccinia	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Puccinia cicutae	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Cowbane Rust and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Basidiomycota. (Club Fungi)

Conservation Status

Cowbane Rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cowbane Rust

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).

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.