To identify a mushroom, you should run through each major group, starting with mushrooms for which there is a single criterion. If your mushroom does not match the first group, go to the next group, and so on, until you find the right group. The maximum number of species to be found in these groups and sub-groups is twelve, so you can easily identify your mushroom by comparing the mushroom to the photo illustrations and descriptions.
By clicking on the image you can go from a major group to the chosen sub-group and then to the species. For each species, you will find on the first line: frequency, edibility, approximate size and, by clicking on the compass, a map of the climatic zones where this species is present. By clicking on the photos of the various identification criteria, you have access to a full-screen image and, by clicking again, you can switch between photos.
However, don’t expect to be able to specifically name each mushroom you have harvested. A mushroom may not always match known descriptions, due to simple anomalies or defects, or because it is a species or sub-species that hasn’t yet been labelled.
Unless otherwise noted, photos are from Fernand Miron.
Scientific names
Since the early 2000s, many scientific names have been modified, following proposals by various authors. Because these names may change again over the next 10 years, we use a more traditional approach here. We provide the main names used in the scientific literature so that amateurs can orient themselves more easily.