clustered burreed vs Common Fieldcap

Sparganium glomeratum compared with Agrocybe pediades

Key Differences

clustered burreed is Not Evaluated while Common Fieldcap is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	clustered burreed	Common Fieldcap
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Typhaceae	Strophariaceae
Genus	Sparganium	Agrocybe
Species	Sparganium glomeratum	Agrocybe pediades

Conservation Status

clustered burreed

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Fieldcap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	clustered burreed	Common Fieldcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

clustered burreed

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada and Norway.

Common Fieldcap

Habitat

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

Range

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

clustered burreed

Sparganium glomeratum, the clustered burreed, is an aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial herb in the family Typhaceae native to circumboreal wetland habitats across northern Europe, northern Asia, and North America. The genus Sparganium is characterized by distinctive spherical, spiky fruiting heads that give burreeds their common name. S. glomeratum is distinguished by its clustered arrangement of male and female flower heads, which are positioned closer together than in other burreed species. The plant grows in shallow water or waterlogged soils in lakes, ponds, slow streams, fens, and marshes, often forming emergent stands alongside other wetland vegetation such as sedges, rushes, and other aquatic plants. Like other aquatic macrophytes, it provides important habitat structure for aquatic invertebrates, fish, and waterfowl. The starchy rhizomes and starch-rich fruits are consumed by waterfowl and other wildlife. S. glomeratum has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN for global conservation status, but is considered secure across most of its circumpolar range in intact boreal and temperate wetlands.

Common Fieldcap

The Common Fieldcap (<em>Agrocybe pediades</em>) is a saprotrophic fungus belonging to the genus Agrocybe within the family Strophariaceae. It typically produces small, tan to pale brown cap-shaped fruiting bodies and is often found growing in clusters or scattered on lawns, grassy areas, forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil-rich ecosystems. The species typically inhabits forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems, obtaining nutrients by breaking down dead organic matter. Its geographic range includes several European countries — Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — as well as the United States in North America. <em>Agrocybe pediades</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent stability. Biological traits of this species, including specific data on fruiting body size, lifespan, and ecological preferences, remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Like other members of its genus, it typically fruits during warmer months and often appears after rainfall in nutrient-rich grassland and woodland habitats.