Fly Agaric vs Threeleaf Halberd Fern

Amanita muscaria compared with Tectaria trifoliata

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Threeleaf Halberd Fern is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Threeleaf Halberd Fern
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Tracheophyta
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Tectariaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Tectaria
Species	Amanita muscaria	Tectaria trifoliata

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Threeleaf Halberd Fern

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Threeleaf Halberd Fern
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).

Threeleaf Halberd Fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Colombia, and Cuba. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.