Soft Puffball vs Steppe Puffball

Lycoperdon molle compared with Lycoperdon decipiens

Key Differences

• Soft Puffball is Least Concern while Steppe Puffball is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Soft Puffball	Steppe 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 molle	Lycoperdon decipiens

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Soft Puffball

LC — Least Concern

Steppe Puffball

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic 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).

Steppe Puffball

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden