Ash Dieback vs Coastal Mushoom

Hymenoscyphus fraxineus compared with Agaricus litoralis

Key Differences

• Ash Dieback is Not Evaluated while Coastal Mushoom is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ash Dieback	Coastal Mushoom
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Leotiomycetes (Leotiomycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Helotiales (Helotiales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Helotiaceae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Hymenoscyphus	Agaricus (Button Mushrooms)
Species	Hymenoscyphus fraxineus	Agaricus litoralis

Evolutionary Relationship

Ash Dieback and Coastal Mushoom share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Fungi. (Fungi)

Conservation Status

Ash Dieback

NE — Not Evaluated

Coastal Mushoom

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ash Dieback	Coastal Mushoom
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ash Dieback

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (8 countries).

Coastal Mushoom

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Ash Dieback

Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) is a species in the genus Hymenoscyphus. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Coastal Mushoom

Agaricus litoralis, the coastal mushroom, is a saprotrophic agaric fungus in the family Agaricaceae occurring in sand dunes, coastal grassland, and sandy soil habitats along the coasts of northwestern Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The genus Agaricus contains the familiar cultivated button mushroom (A. bisporus) along with hundreds of wild species, and members are characterized by a ring on the stem and browning, discoloring, or non-discoloring flesh when cut, features used in field identification. Agaricus litoralis is a medium-sized mushroom producing white to cream-colored caps 4–10 centimeters across with pinkish then dark brown gills and a stout stem with a double ring, fruiting in sand dune hollows and the grassy margins of coastal habitats from summer through autumn. The specific epithet litoralis refers directly to its coastal habitat preference. As a saprotroph, it decomposes organic matter in the sandy soil substrate, releasing nutrients back into the ecosystem. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, being relatively widespread in suitable coastal sandy habitat across northwestern Europe. Like many coastal fungi, it is specifically adapted to the nutrient-poor, well-drained, alkaline conditions of stabilized sand dune systems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden