Welcome to Mushroom World

Step into the fascinating world of mushrooms with Mushroom World - your go-to resource for fungi information. Our site is a comprehensive resource offering information and stunning images of mushrooms. If you're curious about what fungi actually are and how they differ from plants and animals, be sure to visit our what are fungi? page for an easy-to-understand explanation.

Since there are thousands of known species of mushrooms, we have tried to limit those we list to the most common ones. New species are also continuously added to the site.

So come on in and explore the wonders of mushrooms with us. We hope you find our site informative, inspiring, and a valuable resource on your journey of mushroom discovery.

Below is an overview of the main features and functionalities of our site.

Browse the database

You can browse the database from the alphabetical list or search the database based on mushroom names or properties.

Help identify a mushroom

If you know the characteristics of a mushroom but need help identifying it, try using our mushroom identification helper. It is a tool designed to assist you in identifying mushrooms that you may come across. If you're new to mushroom identification, be sure to check out our mushroom identification basics guide for an easy introduction to key features and terminology.

Identification Quiz

We have also created a quiz where you can test your fungi identification knowledge. You can repeat the quiz as many times as you want, each time with new questions.

Upload mushroom pictures

If you have pictures of mushrooms you would like to have included on our site, please use the upload form to upload these files and we will see if we can include them.

Today's Mushroom

Today's mushroom is Laetiporus cincinnatus (White-pored Chicken of the Woods). It grows in North America.

Dimensions: Cap 4 to 20 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick

Description: Laetiporus cincinnatus, commonly known as the White-Pored Chicken of the Woods, is a species of bracket fungus. It is characterised by its pale orange to white colour and distinctive rosette-like growth at the base of trees. The undersurface of the fruit body has white pores instead of gills. This fungus typically grows from the roots or buried wood of hardwood trees, often forming large clusters emerging from the ground.

Fruiting body usually forms a rosette of several to many fan-shaped to semicircular caps near the base of a tree, rarely appearing in a shelving array. Caps are pale to bright pinkish-orange with smooth to finely wrinkled, suede-like surfaces, often showing vague concentric bands that may fade with age or sun exposure. Margins are thick and often whitish. The undersurface is whitish, with small circular to angular pores and short tubes; it does not bruise when handled. Flesh is thick, soft and watery when young, becoming chalky and brittle with age; it remains white and does not change colour when sliced. A stem is usually absent or poorly defined and tough. Spore print white.

Microscopic Features: Spores measure 4–6 by 3–4 µm and are broadly ellipsoid, smooth and hyaline in KOH. They are inamyloid.

Laetiporus cincinnatus on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.

This site contains no information about the edibility or toxicity of the mushroom.

If you are interested in this mushroom, look it up in our database. You can find more detailed pictures there.

Many mushrooms are poisonous, and some can be lethally toxic. Distinguishing between edible and poisonous mushrooms can be very challenging. Therefore, we strongly advise against consuming wild mushrooms. This website does not contain any information about the edibility or toxicity of mushrooms.

Although efforts have been made to ensure accuracy on this website, the information may contain errors and omissions. Therefore, all content provided is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be relied upon or used as a basis for consuming any plants or mushrooms.