Bitter Tooth vs Common Globe-Thistle

Hydnellum scabrosum compared with Echinops sphaerocephalus

Key Differences

• Bitter Tooth is Near Threatened while Common Globe-Thistle is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Tooth	Common Globe-Thistle
Kingdom	Fungi (грибы)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (базидиомицеты)	Chordata (хордовые)
Class	Agaricomycetes (агарикомицеты)	Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order	Thelephorales (Thelephorales)	Afrosoricida (Афросорициды)
Family	Bankeraceae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Hydnellum	Echinops
Species	Hydnellum scabrosum	Echinops sphaerocephalus

Conservation Status

Bitter Tooth

NT — Near Threatened

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Tooth	Common Globe-Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Tooth

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Bitter Tooth

The Bitter Tooth (Hydnellum scabrosum) is a species in the genus Hydnellum. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Common Globe-Thistle

<em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em>, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden