Death Caps

Mushrooms or toadstools?

The answer seems to be that there is no difference.

Starting with Wikipedia: "A mushroom, or toadstool, is the fleshy, spore–bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source."

Note that Wikipedia classifies the whole organism as a fungus, while the toadstool (or mushroom) is the part of it that can be seen above the ground.

According to Knowledge Nuts: "The terms 'mushroom' and 'toadstool' are purely unscientific labels applied to different varieties of fungus ... There's no real, scientifically accepted difference between a mushroom and a toadstool, and the terms can sometimes be used interchangeably to refer to the same types of fungus."

Over to The Wise Geek: "Many people have incorrect ideas about the differences between toadstools and mushrooms ... In reality, there is no real scientific difference ... the names are basically interchangeable."

The Wise Geek goes on at great length about the misconceptions that people have about the difference, including the one about mushrooms being edible and toadstools being poisonous.

So ... I think the best answer to this question is "fungi". But either "mushrooms" or "toadstools" is equally acceptable.