Flaky Puffball vs Soft Puffball

Lycoperdon mammiforme compared with Lycoperdon molle

Key Differences

• Flaky Puffball is Endangered while Soft Puffball is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Flaky Puffball	Soft Puffball
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family same	Lycoperdaceae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus same	Lycoperdon	Lycoperdon
Species	Lycoperdon mammiforme	Lycoperdon molle

Evolutionary Relationship

Flaky Puffball and Soft Puffball share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Lycoperdon.

Conservation Status

Flaky Puffball

EN — Endangered

Soft Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Flaky Puffball	Soft Puffball
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Flaky Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Soft Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

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

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden