Cramp Balls vs Globe Thistle

Daldinia concentrica compared with Echinops ritro

Key Differences

• Cramp Balls is Vulnerable while Globe Thistle is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cramp Balls	Globe Thistle
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Xylariales (Xylariales)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Hypoxylaceae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Daldinia	Echinops
Species	Daldinia concentrica	Echinops ritro

Conservation Status

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Globe Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cramp Balls	Globe Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cramp Balls

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Estonia, Russia, and United States.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇺🇸 United States