Hedgehog Puffball vs Soft Puffball

Lycoperdon echinatum compared with Lycoperdon molle

Key Differences

• Hedgehog Puffball is Endangered while Soft Puffball is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hedgehog Puffball	Soft Puffball
Kingdom same	Fungi (菌界)	Fungi (菌界)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (担子菌門)	Basidiomycota (担子菌門)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (真正担子菌綱)	Agaricomycetes (真正担子菌綱)
Order same	Agaricales (ハラタケ目)	Agaricales (ハラタケ目)
Family same	Lycoperdaceae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus same	Lycoperdon	Lycoperdon
Species	Lycoperdon echinatum	Lycoperdon molle

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Hedgehog Puffball

EN — Endangered

Soft Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hedgehog Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

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

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 5 countries:

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