Autumn Snowflake vs Cotton Thistle

Acis autumnalis compared with Onopordum acanthium

Key Differences

Autumn Snowflake is Least Concern while Cotton Thistle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Autumn Snowflake	Cotton Thistle
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Amaryllidaceae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Acis	Onopordum
Species	Acis autumnalis	Onopordum acanthium

Evolutionary Relationship

Autumn Snowflake and Cotton Thistle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Magnoliophyta. (Flowering Plants)

View Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Conservation Status

Autumn Snowflake

LC — Least Concern

Cotton Thistle

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Autumn Snowflake	Cotton Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Autumn Snowflake

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway.

Cotton Thistle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 10 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Georgia, India, Japan), Europe (22 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Autumn Snowflake

The Autumn Snowflake (Acis autumnalis) is a species in the genus Acis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.