Akulikuli-Kula vs Common Globe-Thistle

Portulaca oleracea compared with Echinops sphaerocephalus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Akulikuli-Kula	Common Globe-Thistle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Portulacaceae	Tenrecidae
Genus	Portulaca	Echinops
Species	Portulaca oleracea	Echinops sphaerocephalus

Conservation Status

Akulikuli-Kula

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Akulikuli-Kula	Common Globe-Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Akulikuli-Kula

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including deserts and xeric shrublands, flooded grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan and Neotropic realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (18 countries), Asia (17 countries), Europe (26 countries), North America (17 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (12 countries), and South America (8 countries).

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Akulikuli-Kula

The Akulikuli-Kula (Portulaca oleracea) is a species in the genus Portulaca. Found across multiple habitat types including deserts and xeric shrublands, flooded grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan and Neotropic realm.

Common Globe-Thistle

Echinops sphaerocephalus, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. Echinops sphaerocephalus typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Echinops sphaerocephalus is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.