vs Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

Comatricha nigra compared with Echinops foliosus

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Polyphyllous Globe Thistle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Polyphyllous Globe Thistle
Kingdom	Protozoa (原生動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Mycetozoa	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Myxomycetes (変形菌綱)	Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order	Stemonitidales	Afrosoricida (アフリカトガリネズミ目)
Family	Stemonitidaceae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Comatricha	Echinops
Species	Comatricha nigra	Echinops foliosus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Polyphyllous Globe Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (Belgium, Norway, Sweden), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Comatricha nigra is among the more widely distributed species in the genus Comatricha, with documented records from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. It belongs to the class Myxomycetes, order Stemonitidales, and is recognized by its dark, stalked sporangia with a distinctive capillitium. The species grows on decaying wood, bark, and moist plant debris in forest habitats across its broad geographic range. As with all plasmodial slime molds, C. nigra undergoes a life cycle that includes a motile plasmodial feeding stage and a reproductive sporangial stage. The feeding plasmodium consumes bacteria, fungal spores, and organic particles, playing a role in nutrient cycling and decomposition. The global distribution of C. nigra reflects the capacity of slime mold spores to disperse over long distances via wind currents. No quantitative biological metrics are recorded, and the species has not been assessed by the IUCN.