Fly Agaric vs sacred basil

Amanita muscaria compared with Ocimum tenuiflorum

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while sacred basil is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	sacred basil
Kingdom	Fungi (Pilze)	Plantae (Pflanzen)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Agaricales (Champignonartige)	Lamiales (Lippenblütlerartige)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Lamiaceae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Ocimum
Species	Amanita muscaria	Ocimum tenuiflorum

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

sacred basil

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	sacred basil
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).

sacred basil

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles, Zambia), Asia (Maldives, Singapore, Timor-Leste), North America (Barbados), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Colombia).

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.