Common Glasscup vs Common Kidney-Vetch

Orbilia xanthostigma compared with Anthyllis vulneraria

Key Differences

• Common Glasscup is Not Evaluated while Common Kidney-Vetch is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Glasscup	Common Kidney-Vetch
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Orbiliomycetes (Orbiliomycetes)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Orbiliales (Orbiliales)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Orbiliaceae	Fabaceae
Genus	Orbilia	Anthyllis
Species	Orbilia xanthostigma	Anthyllis vulneraria

Conservation Status

Common Glasscup

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Kidney-Vetch

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Glasscup	Common Kidney-Vetch
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Glasscup

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Kidney-Vetch

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Oceanian and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Libya), Asia (Japan), Europe (9 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Glasscup

<em>Orbilia xanthostigma</em>, commonly known as the common glasscup, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Orbiliaceae. The species has been documented in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and is understood to have a broader distribution across temperate Europe. Fungi in the genus <em>Orbilia</em> are characterized by their small, typically pale or brightly colored, cup-shaped to disc-shaped fruiting bodies (apothecia) that form on decaying wood and plant matter. <em>Orbilia xanthostigma</em> typically grows on the surface of dead and decaying wood, including logs and fallen branches in forest and woodland habitats. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. As a saprotrophic organism, the common glasscup contributes to decomposition processes and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems by breaking down woody substrates. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The genus <em>Orbilia</em> is also notable within mycology for including species that are predatory on nematodes, though the dietary habits of <em>O. xanthostigma</em> specifically require further research.

Common Kidney-Vetch

Common Kidney-Vetch (<em>Anthyllis vulneraria</em>) is a flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae, assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to habitat degradation and agricultural intensification across parts of its range. It is widely distributed across Africa (Libya), Asia (Japan), Europe (nine countries), North America (Canada and the United States), and Oceania (Australia), occupying six distinct biome types and occurring within the Indomalayan and Oceanian biogeographic realms. The species typically grows in dry, calcareous grasslands, coastal cliffs, sand dunes, and rocky slopes, often favoring nutrient-poor soils. It is an important larval food plant for certain butterfly species, particularly the Small Blue butterfly in Europe, and contributes to soil fertility through nitrogen fixation via root nodules. Its cheerful yellow, orange, or red flower heads make it a recognizable component of chalk and limestone grassland communities. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden