Fly Agaric vs Fragrant Crestwort

Amanita muscaria compared with Lophocolea fragrans

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Fragrant Crestwort is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Fragrant Crestwort
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Lophocoleaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Lophocolea
Species	Amanita muscaria	Lophocolea fragrans

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Fragrant Crestwort

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

Fragrant Crestwort

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Taiwan. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.