Bifid Crestwort vs Common Globe-Thistle

Lophocolea bidentata compared with Echinops sphaerocephalus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bifid Crestwort	Common Globe-Thistle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Lophocoleaceae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Lophocolea	Echinops
Species	Lophocolea bidentata	Echinops sphaerocephalus

Conservation Status

Bifid Crestwort

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bifid Crestwort	Common Globe-Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bifid Crestwort

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Bifid Crestwort

The Bifid Crestwort (Lophocolea bidentata) is a species in the genus Lophocolea. Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Common Globe-Thistle

<em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em>, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States