Azalea Gall vs Fly Agaric

Exobasidium japonicum compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Azalea Gall	Fly Agaric
Kingdom same	Fungi (เห็ดรา)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Exobasidiomycetes (Exobasidiomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Exobasidiales (Exobasidiales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Exobasidiaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Exobasidium	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Exobasidium japonicum	Amanita muscaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Azalea Gall and Fly Agaric share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Basidiomycota. (Club Fungi)

Conservation Status

Azalea Gall

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Azalea Gall

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (6 countries).

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).

Azalea Gall

The Azalea Gall (Exobasidium japonicum) is a species in the genus Exobasidium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden