Brown Cobblestone Lichen vs Collared Mosscap

Acarospora fuscata compared with Rickenella swartzii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Cobblestone Lichen	Collared Mosscap
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Acarosporales (Acarosporales)	Hymenochaetales (Hymenochaetales)
Family	Acarosporaceae	Rickenellaceae
Genus	Acarospora	Rickenella
Species	Acarospora fuscata	Rickenella swartzii

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown Cobblestone Lichen and Collared Mosscap share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Fungi. (Fungi)

Conservation Status

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Collared Mosscap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Cobblestone Lichen	Collared Mosscap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and United States.

Collared Mosscap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

The Brown Cobblestone Lichen (Acarospora fuscata) is a species in the genus Acarospora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Collared Mosscap

The Collared Mosscap, known scientifically as <em>Rickenella swartzii</em>, is a small fungus belonging to the family Repetobasidiaceae within the order Agaricales. <em>Rickenella swartzii</em> is characterised by its diminutive fruiting bodies, which typically feature a small, convex to umbilicate cap and a slender stipe. The species typically grows in mossy substrates, on forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil, where it plays a role in nutrient cycling as a saprotrophic or potentially mycorrhizal organism. It is reported to occur in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, reflecting a distribution across parts of northern Europe. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan measures and physical dimensions are poorly documented for this fungal species in available literature. The Collared Mosscap is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not considered to be at significant risk of global population decline.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway