Blue star vs Hemlock Varnish Shelf

Amsonia orientalis compared with Ganoderma tsugae

Key Differences

• Blue star is Critically Endangered while Hemlock Varnish Shelf is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue star	Hemlock Varnish Shelf
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Gentianales (Gentianales)	Polyporales (Polyporales)
Family	Apocynaceae	Polyporaceae
Genus	Amsonia	Ganoderma
Species	Amsonia orientalis	Ganoderma tsugae

Conservation Status

Blue star

CR — Critically Endangered

Hemlock Varnish Shelf

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue star	Hemlock Varnish Shelf
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue star

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Hemlock Varnish Shelf

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Blue star

The Blue star (Amsonia orientalis) is a species in the genus Amsonia. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.