Arched Earthstar vs Globe Thistle

Geastrum fornicatum compared with Echinops ritro

Key Differences

Arched Earthstar is Critically Endangered while Globe Thistle is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arched Earthstar	Globe Thistle
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Geastrales (Geastrales)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Geastraceae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Geastrum	Echinops
Species	Geastrum fornicatum	Echinops ritro

Conservation Status

Arched Earthstar

CR — Critically Endangered

Globe Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arched Earthstar	Globe Thistle
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.

Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Estonia, Russia, and United States.

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.