Arched Earthstar vs Beardgrass

Geastrum fornicatum compared with Andropogon chevalieri

Key Differences

• Arched Earthstar is Critically Endangered while Beardgrass is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arched Earthstar	Beardgrass
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Geastrales (Geastrales)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Geastraceae	Poaceae (Grass Family)
Genus	Geastrum	Andropogon
Species	Geastrum fornicatum	Andropogon chevalieri

Conservation Status

Arched Earthstar

CR — Critically Endangered

Beardgrass

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arched Earthstar	Beardgrass
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arched Earthstar

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Beardgrass

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found in Guinea.

Arched Earthstar

The Arched Earthstar (Geastrum fornicatum) is a species in the genus Geastrum. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the.

Beardgrass

The Beardgrass (Andropogon chevalieri) is a species in the genus Andropogon. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.