Ebony vs Fly Agaric

Diospyros crassiflora compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Ebony is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ebony	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Ericales (Ericales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Ebenaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Diospyros	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Diospyros crassiflora	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Ebony

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ebony

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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).

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.