Flacher Schillerporling vs Fly Agaric

Inonotus cuticularis compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Flacher Schillerporling is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Flacher Schillerporling	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (Pilze)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Hymenochaetales (Borstenscheiblingsartige)	Agaricales (Champignonartige)
Family	Hymenochaetaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Inonotus	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Inonotus cuticularis	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Flacher Schillerporling and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Class level: Agaricomycetes. (Mushrooms)

Conservation Status

Flacher Schillerporling

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Flacher Schillerporling

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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).

Flacher Schillerporling

Inonotus cuticularis, the clustered bracket, is a polypore fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae that grows on living and dead hardwood trees across the northern hemisphere. The fruiting bodies are bracket-shaped, overlapping in tiered clusters, with a yellowish-brown to rusty-brown upper surface that darkens with age, and a pale to golden pore surface beneath. This species causes white heart rot in its host trees, degrading the structural integrity of trunks and major branches. It commonly attacks living oaks, beeches, and other broadleaf trees, as well as occurring on dead wood. Inonotus cuticularis is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, reflecting its association with old-growth and veteran trees that are increasingly rare in managed European and North American landscapes. The decline of old-growth forest and the removal of veteran trees from managed woodlands and parklands has reduced suitable habitat for many bracket fungi. Conservation of ancient and veteran trees is therefore important for maintaining populations of this and many other wood-decay fungi with similar old-growth associations.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States