Pfeilwurz vs Fly Agaric

Maranta arundinacea compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Pfeilwurz is Not Evaluated while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Pfeilwurz	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Zingiberales (Ingwerartige)	Agaricales (Champignonartige)
Family	Marantaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Maranta	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Maranta arundinacea	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Pfeilwurz

NE — Not Evaluated

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Pfeilwurz

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles), Asia (Philippines, Taiwan), North America (Cuba, United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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).

Pfeilwurz

The Arrowroot, Maranta arundinacea, is a species. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

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.