Arctic grass vs Clouded Agaric

Arctagrostis latifolia compared with Clitocybe nebularis

Key Differences

• Arctic grass is Near Threatened while Clouded Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic grass	Clouded Agaric
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)	Tricholomataceae
Genus	Arctagrostis	Clitocybe
Species	Arctagrostis latifolia	Clitocybe nebularis

Conservation Status

Arctic grass

NT — Near Threatened

Clouded Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic grass	Clouded Agaric
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic grass

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Clouded Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

Arctic grass

The Arctic grass (Arctagrostis latifolia) is a species in the genus Arctagrostis. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Clouded Agaric

The clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis, syn. Lepista nebularis) is a large, robust saprotrophic mushroom in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate broadleaved and mixed forests of Europe and North America. It produces pale grey to buff fruiting bodies with broad, wavy caps up to 20 cm diameter, crowded, slightly decurrent gills, and a stout stipe, typically emerging in large fairy rings or scattered groups in autumn woodland settings. The common name 'clouded' refers to the greyish, misty coloration of the cap surface. Though historically eaten in parts of Europe and considered edible when thoroughly cooked, C. nebularis is now known to contain toxic compounds and a heat-labile gastrointestinal toxin that causes illness in some individuals, and it is associated with documented poisoning cases. Its strong mealy odor is distinctive. The species is widespread and common across European deciduous forests, fruiting reliably in autumn and forming an important component of the saprotrophic fungal community responsible for decomposing accumulated leaf litter and organic matter in temperate forest ecosystems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden