Fly Agaric vs Water speedwell

Amanita muscaria compared with Veronica anagallis-aquatica

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Water speedwell is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Water speedwell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Lamiales (Lamiales)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Plantaginaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Veronica
Species	Amanita muscaria	Veronica anagallis-aquatica

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Water speedwell

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Water speedwell
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).

Water speedwell

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Namibia), Asia (Japan), Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (4 countries). 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.