It was described by American mycologist Cornelius Lott Shear in 1902 under the name Scleroderma pteridis.

[4] A. pteridis was previously frequently confused with the supposedly cosmopolitan A. hygrometricus, now shown to be found only in Europe.

A molecular phylogenetic study from 2013 resulted in the application of the name A. pteridis to the larger Astraeus found in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.

A. pteridis has also been found in the Canary Islands, Madeira, and Argentina, which share historical connections to Lusitania.

[5] A. pteridis closely resembles A. hygrometricus, though it is larger, reaching 5 to 15 cm (2.0 to 5.9 in) or more when expanded, and often has a more pronounced areolate pattern on the inner surface of the rays.