Common Fieldcap vs Common White Heart-Leaf Aster

Agrocybe pediades compared with Eurybia divaricata

Key Differences

• Common Fieldcap is Least Concern while Common White Heart-Leaf Aster is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Fieldcap	Common White Heart-Leaf Aster
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Strophariaceae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Agrocybe	Eurybia
Species	Agrocybe pediades	Eurybia divaricata

Conservation Status

Common Fieldcap

LC — Least Concern

Common White Heart-Leaf Aster

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Fieldcap	Common White Heart-Leaf Aster
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Fieldcap

Habitat

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

Range

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

Common White Heart-Leaf Aster

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

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.

Common White Heart-Leaf Aster

<em>Eurybia divaricata</em>, commonly known as the common white heart-leaf aster or white wood aster, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Its conservation status is listed as Not Evaluated by the IUCN. The species is native to eastern North America and has also been recorded in parts of Europe, where it grows in shaded woodland environments, forest edges, and disturbed habitats with partial to deep shade. It typically flowers in late summer and autumn, producing numerous small white daisy-like flower heads with yellow centers that age to reddish-purple, creating a striking two-toned effect across a single flowering colony. The plant grows from a creeping rhizome and typically reaches 30–90 cm in height, forming loosely spreading colonies in suitable conditions. Leaves are heart-shaped at the base, providing the basis for the common name. <em>Eurybia divaricata</em> is considered a shade-tolerant woodland specialist that thrives in nutrient-poor soils under closed forest canopy, making it a useful indicator of relatively undisturbed eastern deciduous forest understory. Biological traits including average lifespan, precise height, and mass remain poorly documented in standardized databases. Ecologically, the white wood aster provides late-season nectar and pollen resources for pollinators including bees and butterflies at a time when few other woodland species are flowering, making it a valuable component of woodland biodiversity across its native and introduced range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States