Globe Thistle vs Tiny Earthstar

Echinops exaltatus compared with Geastrum minimum

Key Differences

• Globe Thistle is Not Evaluated while Tiny Earthstar is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Globe Thistle	Tiny 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 minimum

Conservation Status

Globe Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Tiny Earthstar

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Globe Thistle	Tiny 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).

Tiny 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). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States