Dixie ticktrefoil vs Fly Agaric

Desmodium tortuosum compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dixie ticktrefoil	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Fabaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Desmodium	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Desmodium tortuosum	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Dixie ticktrefoil

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dixie ticktrefoil

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (5 countries), Europe (United Kingdom), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (10 countries), and South America (4 countries).

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇺🇸 United States