Blackish Puffball vs Hedgehog Puffball

Lycoperdon nigrescens compared with Lycoperdon echinatum

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackish Puffball	Hedgehog Puffball
Kingdom same	Fungi (เห็ดรา)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
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 nigrescens	Lycoperdon echinatum

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Blackish Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Hedgehog Puffball

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackish Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Blackish Puffball

The Blackish Puffball (Lycoperdon nigrescens) is a species in the genus Lycoperdon. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States