Globe Thistle vs Rounded Earthstar

Echinops exaltatus compared with Geastrum saccatum

Key Differences

• Globe Thistle is Not Evaluated while Rounded Earthstar is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Globe Thistle	Rounded Earthstar
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Geastrales (Geastrales)
Family	Tenrecidae	Geastraceae
Genus	Echinops	Geastrum
Species	Echinops exaltatus	Geastrum saccatum

Conservation Status

Globe Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Rounded Earthstar

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Globe Thistle	Rounded Earthstar
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (13 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Rounded Earthstar

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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