Heath Puffball vs Soft Puffball

Lycoperdon ericaeum compared with Lycoperdon molle

Key Differences

• Heath Puffball is Data Deficient while Soft Puffball is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Heath Puffball	Soft Puffball
Kingdom same	Fungi (फफूंद)	Fungi (फफूंद)
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 ericaeum	Lycoperdon molle

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Heath Puffball

DD — Data Deficient

Soft Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Heath Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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