Coastal wattle vs Collared Earthstar

Acacia cyclops compared with Geastrum triplex

Key Differences

• Coastal wattle is Least Concern while Collared Earthstar is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal wattle	Collared Earthstar
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Geastrales (Geastrales)
Family	Fabaceae	Geastraceae
Genus	Acacia	Geastrum
Species	Acacia cyclops	Geastrum triplex

Conservation Status

Coastal wattle

LC — Least Concern

Collared Earthstar

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal wattle	Collared Earthstar
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal wattle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (13 countries), Asia (Israel), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States).

Collared Earthstar

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Brazil, Norway, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Coastal wattle

Coastal wattle (Acacia cyclops) is a dense, fast-growing shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to the southwestern and southern coastal regions of Western Australia, from Shark Bay south to the Nullarbor Plain. It grows on coastal dunes, sandy scrubland, and limestone substrates near the sea, where it tolerates salt spray, wind, and summer drought. Coastal wattle produces distinctive circular seeds with bright red arillate coatings, making them highly attractive to birds. Although valued in its native range for coastal stabilisation and revegetation, the species has become highly invasive in southern Africa, particularly South Africa, where it was introduced for dune stabilisation in the 19th century and has since spread extensively across the Cape Floristic Region, displacing native fynbos vegetation. It is listed among the 100 worst invasive species globally by the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group. In Australia, it is assessed as Least Concern. Management of invasive populations in South Africa involves mechanical removal and biological control efforts aimed at protecting the critically threatened fynbos biome.

Collared Earthstar

<em>Geastrum triplex</em>, the Collared Earthstar, is a gasteroid fungus in the family Geastraceae, order Geastrales. This species is assessed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it may be at risk of qualifying for a threatened category in the near future. It has been recorded in Belgium, Brazil, Norway, and the United States, and is associated with forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil. Earthstars in the genus <em>Geastrum</em> are recognized by their distinctive star-shaped fruiting bodies, formed when the outer wall splits and folds back into ray-like segments to reveal an inner spore sac. <em>Geastrum triplex</em> is distinguished by the formation of a collar or cup-like structure around the base of the inner spore sac, which gives rise to its common name. Like other gasteroid fungi, it disperses spores through an apical pore in the spore sac. Population estimates and trend data are not available. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Its Near Threatened status may reflect sensitivity to habitat disturbance and forest management practices.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States