Common Globe-Thistle vs Common Mare'S Tail

Echinops sphaerocephalus compared with Hippuris vulgaris

Key Differences

• Common Globe-Thistle is Not Evaluated while Common Mare'S Tail is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Globe-Thistle	Common Mare'S Tail
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Lamiales (Lamiales)
Family	Tenrecidae	Plantaginaceae
Genus	Echinops	Hippuris
Species	Echinops sphaerocephalus	Hippuris vulgaris

Conservation Status

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Mare'S Tail

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Globe-Thistle	Common Mare'S Tail
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Common Mare'S Tail

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (India), Europe (8 countries), and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Globe-Thistle

<em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em>, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.

Common Mare'S Tail

<em>Hippuris vulgaris</em>, the common mare's tail, is an aquatic vascular plant in the family Plantaginaceae, found across Asia (including India), Europe, and North America. It is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population declines associated with wetland drainage, water pollution, and habitat modification. This species typically grows in shallow freshwater habitats including lakes, ponds, rivers, and marshes, forming emergent stands with erect, unbranched stems bearing whorls of narrow leaves. Common mare's tail is often confused with the unrelated horsetail (Equisetum), but belongs to a different plant lineage. It provides important ecological services in aquatic ecosystems, offering shelter for aquatic invertebrates and small fish while helping to stabilize sediments along shorelines. The species is wind-pollinated and produces small, inconspicuous flowers. Its tolerance for cold temperatures enables it to persist in subarctic and alpine freshwater environments. Ongoing wetland loss across its range poses the primary conservation challenge for this species.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 8 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States