vs Sunburst Lichen

Lichenomphalia velutina compared with Lichenomphalia alpina

Key Differences

• is Near Threatened while Sunburst Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Sunburst Lichen
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	Hygrophoraceae	Hygrophoraceae
Genus same	Lichenomphalia	Lichenomphalia
Species	Lichenomphalia velutina	Lichenomphalia alpina

Evolutionary Relationship

and Sunburst Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Lichenomphalia.

Conservation Status

NT — Near Threatened

Sunburst Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Sunburst Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Sunburst Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Lichenomphalia velutina is a lichen-forming basidiomycete with a granular, algae-containing thallus and small, tan to yellowish-buff mushroom-like fruiting bodies. It inhabits mossy, peaty soils and acidic wet habitats in boreal and montane environments across northern Europe and North America. This unusual organism combines lichenization with mushroom production to obtain nutrients.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden