Strophariaceae is a family of mushrooms that grow on decaying plant matter. Among the multiple genera that fall under the strophariaceae categorization is the infamous Psilocybe. Most species in this family develop the stereotypical umbrella-shaped mushroom cap, and nearly all are inedible.

Its most famous species is Hypholoma fasciculare. The hemispherical cap can reach 6 cm in diameter. It is smooth and sulfur yellow with an orange-brown center and whitish margin. The crowded gills are initially yellow but darken to a distinctive green color as the blackish spores develop on the yellow flesh. It has a purple-brown spore print. The stripe is up to 10 cm tall and 1.02 cm wide, light yellow, orange-brown below, often with an indistinct ring zone colored dark by the spores. The taste is very bitter, though not bitter when cooked, but still poisonous.

Psathyrellaceae is a fungus family that consists mostly of saprobic fungi that feed on decomposing material. This way, these agaric mushrooms serve as decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems. Although the members of this family vary in size, many of them are very fragile and delicate. They all have a dark spore print.

Lyophyllaceae is a taxonomic family of fungi that was only grouped together, or circumscribed, in 1981 by Swiss mycologist Walter Jülich. Many species in this family have characteristic mushroom shapes and are noted for their pale-colored spores.

Physalacriaceae is a family of fungi that includes different mushroom genera. Nearly all grow in the presence of aging or rotting wood, and they often grow gregariously. Among the more famous physalacriaceae species are the so-called honey mushrooms.

Perhaps the best-known member is the oyster mushroom, Pleurotaceae ostreatus. The mushroom has a broad, fan, or oyster-shaped cap spanning 5 to 25 cm. Natural specimens range from white to gray, tan to dark brown. The margin is enrolled when young and is smooth and often somewhat lobed or wavy. The flesh is white, firm, and varies in thickness due to stipe arrangement. The gills of the mushroom are white to cream and descend on the stalk if present. If present, the stipe is off-center with a lateral attachment to wood. The spore print of the mushroom is white to lilac-gray, best viewed on a dark background. The mushroom's stipe is often absent. When present, it is short and thick.

Marasmiaceae is a taxonomic family of fungi. It includes a few edible species such as the shiitake mushroom, but most members of this family are considered inedible. They grow from dead wood or mulch and produce white spores.

Pluteaceae mushrooms is a family of fungi that lives by decomposing wood. To the casual observer they look just like regular mushrooms, but to fungi experts they present more of a problem since the members of this genus are notoriously hard to classify, and some resemble deadly poisonous fungi. This is a great reminder why only experts should collect mushrooms.