Cottontail Foam Lichen vs Variegated Foam Lichen

Stereocaulon paschale compared with Stereocaulon vesuvianum

Key Differences

• Cottontail Foam Lichen is Critically Endangered while Variegated Foam Lichen is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cottontail Foam Lichen	Variegated Foam Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Pilze)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum same	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class same	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order same	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family same	Stereocaulaceae	Stereocaulaceae
Genus same	Stereocaulon	Stereocaulon
Species	Stereocaulon paschale	Stereocaulon vesuvianum

Evolutionary Relationship

Cottontail Foam Lichen and Variegated Foam Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Stereocaulon.

Conservation Status

Cottontail Foam Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Variegated Foam Lichen

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cottontail Foam Lichen	Variegated Foam Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cottontail Foam Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

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

Variegated Foam Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States