Arched Earthstar vs Belly-shaped Hard Grass

Geastrum fornicatum compared with Aegilops ventricosa

Key Differences

Arched Earthstar is Critically Endangered while Belly-shaped Hard Grass is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arched Earthstar	Belly-shaped Hard Grass
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	Aegilops
Species	Geastrum fornicatum	Aegilops ventricosa

Conservation Status

Arched Earthstar

CR — Critically Endangered

Belly-shaped Hard Grass

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arched Earthstar	Belly-shaped Hard Grass
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.

Belly-shaped Hard Grass

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, and United Kingdom.

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.

Belly-shaped Hard Grass

The Belly-shaped Hard Grass (Aegilops ventricosa) is a species in the genus Aegilops. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.