These are common names for fungi, proposed for consideration for use in the USA and Canada, by English speakers, for fungi that are found in the USA and Canada. They are embedded in a folk taxonomy. They represent a large amount of effort to creatively and coherently evoke their subjects, and more specifically to align with the guidelines suggested here. Each taxon is added scrupulously, so that this page can also function as a minimal list of identifiable taxa in our area.

The goal is a consistent set of names that will roll off the tongue and function smoothly long-term. Ideally, every name will end up feeling like an obvious choice, for everyone using it—at least after giving them a chance.

Wherever pre-existing names have been tweaked or replaced, the change is intentional. Whatever perceived issues, whether rational or aesthetic, that inspired me to suggest those changes, have hopefully been largely captured by the guidelines mentioned above. My premise is that these issues are consciously or subconsciously significant for many people, and may have been hindering names from being used more widely and with more comfort.

All of these are names I have been using, or hope to use, earnestly. There is some reasoning behind all of these choices, and a lot of reasoning behind many of them. But the question of whether the reasoning is good is always up for debate. I am much more sure that we should adopt names that, in general, sound roughly like these, than that we should adopt any of these names in particular. Regardless, ultimately, the only real judge of a common name's quality is how commonly and how comfortably people use it.

This list is not a final product. It is continually in progress. Although I've incorporated feedback from many others, and genuinely want to ensure it's palatable to the community, it is only one person's perspective.

I would love to discuss the list with anyone who's interested. Not many people are enthusiastic about curating mushroom common names. For anyone who is, I'd invite you to try out some of these names, and contact me about what works for you, what doesn't, and any other ideas you might have.

The list currently:

• comprises names for 2,086 species. All these species should be distinguishable in the field.


• comprises 2,413 names in total. Names of higher-ranked taxa, and multiple names proposed for species with multiple forms, are counted in this number.


• covers 22.77% of the names used on iNaturalist*.

  • Fungi
  • "Research Grade"
  • genera & species
  • USA & Canada
  • North America
  • obtained via GBIF
  • typical lichens excluded
  • senseless names excluded (e.g. Astraeus hygrometricus)
  • with taxonomic corrections & adjustments
  • many species subsumed into groups


• covers 94.08% of the observations on iNaturalist. This rate is much greater because common species are preferentially covered. The missing species are generally rarely encountered or identified. Roughly speaking, this is the chance that an identified mushroom will have a common name on this list.

Last updated March 4, 2026.