Arched Earthstar vs Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

Geastrum fornicatum compared with Echinops foliosus

Key Differences

• Arched Earthstar is Critically Endangered while Polyphyllous Globe Thistle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arched Earthstar	Polyphyllous 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 foliosus

Conservation Status

Arched Earthstar

CR — Critically Endangered

Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arched Earthstar	Polyphyllous 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.

Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.