Dwarf Spikemoss vs Fly Agaric

Selaginella rupestris compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Dwarf Spikemoss is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dwarf Spikemoss	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Lycopodiopsida (Lycopodiopsida)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Selaginellales (Selaginellales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Selaginellaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Selaginella	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Selaginella rupestris	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Dwarf Spikemoss

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dwarf Spikemoss

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada, Norway, and United States.

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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States