Fly Agaric vs Sand Feather-moss

Amanita muscaria compared with Brachythecium mildeanum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Sand Feather-moss
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Bryophyta
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Hypnales (Hypnales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Brachytheciaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Brachythecium
Species	Amanita muscaria	Brachythecium mildeanum

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Sand Feather-moss

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Sand Feather-moss
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).

Sand Feather-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg, Portugal, and Sweden.

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.