Can You Spot the Deadly Lookalike?

Test your mushroom identification skills. Some of the most delicious edible mushrooms have toxic twins that can kill. Are you confident you know the difference?

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

This quiz is for educational purposes only. Never eat a wild mushroom based solely on app identification, photos, or online quizzes. Always verify with multiple expert sources and when in doubt, don't eat it.

Edible vs Poisonous Lookalike Quiz

Identify which mushroom is safe to eat

Question 1: Which is the TRUE Morel (safe to eat)?

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Mushroom A

Uniform honeycomb pattern, hollow inside, cap attached to stem

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Mushroom B

Brain-like wrinkled surface, chambered inside, cap hangs free

Question 2: Which is the TRUE Chanterelle (safe to eat)?

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Mushroom A

Grows in clusters on wood, true blade-like gills, deep orange

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Mushroom B

Grows from soil, false gills (ridges), pale yellow-orange, fruity smell

Question 3: Which is the Field Mushroom (safe to eat)?

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Mushroom A

Pink to brown gills, no volva at base, smells pleasant/mushroomy

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Mushroom B

Pure white gills, cup-like volva at base, ring on stem

Question 4: Which is the Honey Mushroom (safe when cooked)?

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Mushroom A

Small, grows on wood, rusty brown spore print, thin ring

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Mushroom B

Grows in clusters, white spore print, thick cottony ring, honey-colored

Question 5: Which is a safe Puffball?

Mushroom A

Pure white throughout when cut, no internal structure, no stem

Mushroom B

Shows outline of cap and gills inside when cut in half

Your Results

0/5

Key Lookalike Pairs to Study

✓ True Morel (Morchella)

  • Honeycomb-like pits uniformly distributed
  • Completely hollow when cut in half
  • Cap attached directly to stem at base
  • Light tan to dark brown color

✗ False Morel (Gyromitra)

  • Brain-like wrinkles, not uniform pits
  • Chambered inside, not hollow
  • Cap hangs free from stem like a skirt
  • Contains gyromitrin toxin - potentially fatal

✓ Chanterelle (Cantharellus)

  • False gills - forked ridges that run down stem
  • Grows individually from soil
  • Fruity, apricot-like smell
  • Flesh is pale throughout

✗ Jack O'Lantern (Omphalotus)

  • True blade-like gills
  • Grows in clusters on wood/buried wood
  • Gills glow faintly in the dark
  • Causes severe GI distress

✓ Field Mushroom (Agaricus campestris)

  • Gills start pink, turn chocolate brown
  • No volva (cup) at stem base
  • Pleasant mushroomy smell
  • Flesh bruises slightly pink/brown

✗ Destroying Angel (Amanita)

  • Gills always pure white
  • Cup-like volva at base (may be underground)
  • Slight sweetish smell
  • One cap can kill an adult - no antidote

Why AI Alone Isn't Enough

Studies show mushroom identification apps have concerning accuracy rates:

~50%
Average app accuracy
44%
Accuracy on poisonous species
133,000+
Poisoning cases (1999-2016)

Our approach: Mushroom Tracker combines AI suggestions with community verification and clear safety warnings. We never claim 100% accuracy, and we always recommend verification through multiple sources before consuming any wild mushroom.

Learn Safely with Mushroom Tracker

200+ species database with detailed safety information, lookalike warnings, and community verification. Never rely on a single source.

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