Hedgehog Puffball vs Meadow Puffball

Lycoperdon echinatum compared with Lycoperdon pratense

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hedgehog Puffball	Meadow Puffball
Kingdom same	Fungi (균계)	Fungi (균계)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (담자균류)	Basidiomycota (담자균류)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (주름버섯강)	Agaricomycetes (주름버섯강)
Order same	Agaricales (주름버섯목)	Agaricales (주름버섯목)
Family same	Lycoperdaceae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus same	Lycoperdon	Lycoperdon
Species	Lycoperdon echinatum	Lycoperdon pratense

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Hedgehog Puffball

EN — Endangered

Meadow Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hedgehog Puffball	Meadow 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.

Meadow Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden