Alder vs chocolate cosmos

Alnus glutinosa compared with Cosmos atrosanguineus

Key Differences

  • Alder is Least Concern while chocolate cosmos is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Alder chocolate cosmos
Kingdom same Plantae (Plants) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Fagales (Beeches & Oaks) Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family Betulaceae Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus Alnus Cosmos
Species Alnus glutinosa Cosmos atrosanguineus

Evolutionary Relationship

Alder and chocolate cosmos share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Alder

LC — Least Concern

chocolate cosmos

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Alder chocolate cosmos
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alder

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (India, Japan), Europe (6 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Chile).

chocolate cosmos

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Sweden.

Alder

The Alder (Alnus glutinosa) is a species in the genus Alnus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

chocolate cosmos

The Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) is a herbaceous perennial in the family Asteraceae (daisy family), native to Mexico, where it is believed to be extinct in the wild. It is widely cultivated for its extraordinary deep burgundy to near-black daisy-like flower heads, which emit a distinctive vanilla-chocolate fragrance — particularly in warm weather — making it a popular and unusual ornamental plant. The genus Cosmos comprises about 40 species of flowering plants with showy composite flower heads and feathery or pinnately divided leaves. Cosmos atrosanguineus grows from tuberous roots, reaching 40–60 centimetres in height, and flowers from summer to autumn in temperate gardens. The species has not been found reproducing sexually in cultivation — all cultivated plants are believed to be sterile clones propagated vegetatively from a single introduction — raising questions about long-term genetic diversity. Despite its presumed extinction in Mexico, the species survives in cultivation worldwide, though this does not satisfy botanical criteria for in situ conservation. The IUCN lists it as Not Evaluated under current assessment protocols. The chocolate cosmos serves as an important reminder of the value of botanical gardens and horticultural collections for preserving species that have vanished from their native ranges due to agricultural conversion and other habitat pressures.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

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