Elegant Earthstar
Geastrum elegans
Geastrum elegans is an inedible species of mushroom belonging to the genus Geastrum, or earthstar fungi.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geastrum_elegans
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Geastrales
Family
Geastraceae
Genus
Geastrum
Elegant Earthstar belongs to the family Geastraceae, order Geastrales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
Geastrum elegans is an inedible species of mushroom belonging to the genus Geastrum, or earthstar fungi.
Geastrum elegans faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural conversion of its specialized forest ecosystems. The species is particularly vulnerable because of its narrow ecological requirements and limited dispersal ability, making populations highly susceptible to fragmentation and local extinctions.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Geastrum elegans faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural conversion of its specialized forest ecosystems. The species is particularly vulnerable because of its narrow ecological requirements and limited dispersal ability, making populations highly susceptible to fragmentation and local extinctions.
Agricultural land conversion
Deforestation and forest fragmentation
Climate change affecting soil moisture regimes
Habitat degradation from logging
Limited dispersal ability reducing recolonization
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Elegant Earthstar (Geastrum elegans). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/elegant-earthstar