Fly Agaric vs Nutmeg

Amanita muscaria compared with Myristica fragrans

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Nutmeg is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Nutmeg
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Magnoliales (Magnoliales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Myristicaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Myristica
Species	Amanita muscaria	Myristica fragrans

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Nutmeg

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Nutmeg
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).

Nutmeg

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Congo (DRC), Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles), Asia (India, Laos, Taiwan), and South America (Brazil).

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.