Hedgehog Puffball vs Pestle Puffball

Lycoperdon echinatum compared with Lycoperdon excipuliforme

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hedgehog Puffball	Pestle 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 echinatum	Lycoperdon excipuliforme

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Hedgehog Puffball

EN — Endangered

Pestle Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hedgehog Puffball	Pestle 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.

Pestle Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and United States.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States