Dangerous look-alike mushrooms
There are over 140,000 species of fungi described worldwide, and some estimates suggest there may be over 3 million. Of these described, about 14,000 are what we call "mushrooms", that is, macroscopic fruiting bodies.
Given such staggering diversity, it's not surprising that many species, even though they are not close relatives, have a similar appearance. Distinguishing them can be challenging even for professionals.
The greatest danger comes from poisonous look-alikes of edible species, and here are some of them:
Field (Meadow) mushroomAgaricus campestris
A widespread edible mushroom
Death capAmanita phalloides
Incredibly poisonous mushroom, a quarter of the fruiting body is enough to kill an adult human
Parasol mushroomMacrolepiota procera
Delicious edible mushroom, can be consumed raw
False death capAmanita citrina
Inedible due to unpleasant taste and odor, toxic in large quantities
The MillerClitopilus prunulus
A little-known edible mushroom
Frosty FunnelCollybia phyllophila
A deadly poisonous mushroom, especially dangerous to people with weak hearts and respiratory problems
Golden chanterelleCantharellus cibarius
A very popular edible and tasty mushroom
False ChanterelleHygrophoropsis aurantiaca
Inedible, unpalatable, in large quantities can lead to gastrointestinal poisoning
BlusherAmanita rubescens
One of the few edible species of the genus Amanita; toxic when raw, but edible after proper cooking
PanthercapAmanita pantherina
Causes severe poisoning, hallucinations and amnesia
Cep, Porcini or Penny Bun BoleteBoletus edulis
A superb edible mushroom of excellent quality
Bitter BoleteTylopilus felleus
A non-toxic but incredibly bitter mushroom; the bitterness is not eliminated by cooking
Conifer TuftHypholoma capnoides
A little-popular edible mushroom
Sulphur TuftHypholoma fasciculare
Toxic, can cause poisoning, paralysis and visual impairmentBe careful, collect only those mushrooms you are sure of, and remember that it is sometimes impossible to reliably identify a species from an image alone.