coast amaranth vs Common Ink Cap

Amaranthus pumilus compared with Coprinopsis atramentaria

Key Differences

coast amaranth is Extinct while Common Ink Cap is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	coast amaranth	Common Ink Cap
Kingdom	Plantae (نباتات)	Fungi (فطر)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (كاسيات البذور)	Basidiomycota (دعاميات)
Class	Magnoliopsida (ماغنولانية)	Agaricomycetes (غاريقونانية)
Order	Caryophyllales (قرنفليات)	Agaricales (غاريقونيات)
Family	Amaranthaceae	Psathyrellaceae
Genus	Amaranthus	Coprinopsis
Species	Amaranthus pumilus	Coprinopsis atramentaria

Conservation Status

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Common Ink Cap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	coast amaranth	Common Ink Cap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

coast amaranth

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Japan.

Common Ink Cap

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States).

coast amaranth

Coast amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the eastern United States, where it once grew on coastal foredunes, beach strand, and shell-hash substrates above the high tide line from New York south to South Carolina. It is a low-growing, fleshy plant with small, rounded leaves and inconspicuous green flowers typical of the genus. Coast amaranth is assessed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, as it has not been reliably documented from wild populations since the mid-20th century; the last confirmed collections date to the 1960s. The species' decline and likely extinction resulted from intense human pressure on Atlantic coastal habitats through shoreline development, beach stabilisation, vehicular traffic on beaches, and increased storm frequency disrupting pioneer dune vegetation. It is federally listed as Threatened in the United States, though this listing predates confirmed extinction in the wild. A small number of ex-situ accessions may exist in botanical garden collections. Genetic material and seed banking efforts represent the only remaining conservation options for this critically reduced species.

Common Ink Cap

<em>Coprinopsis atramentaria</em>, commonly known as the common ink cap, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a distribution spanning Asia (including Taiwan), Europe, and North America. The species typically grows on forest floors, buried wood, stumps, and other decomposing woody substrates in temperate regions. As a saprotroph, it plays an important ecological role in breaking down organic matter. The common ink cap is notable for containing coprine, a compound that inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase and causes unpleasant reactions when consumed with alcohol. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.