Brown Puffball vs Fen Puffball

Bovista nigrescens compared with Bovista paludosa

Key Differences

• Brown Puffball is Least Concern while Fen Puffball is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Puffball	Fen Puffball
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family same	Lycoperdaceae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus same	Bovista	Bovista
Species	Bovista nigrescens	Bovista paludosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown Puffball and Fen Puffball share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Bovista.

Conservation Status

Brown Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Fen Puffball

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Puffball	Fen Puffball
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Fen Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Brown Puffball

The Brown Puffball (Bovista nigrescens) is a species in the genus Bovista. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden