Alder vs Lesser Smoothcap

Alnus glutinosa compared with Atrichum angustatum

Key Differences

• Alder is Least Concern while Lesser Smoothcap is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder	Lesser Smoothcap
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Bryophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Polytrichopsida (Polytrichopsida)
Order	Fagales (Beeches & Oaks)	Polytrichales (Polytrichales)
Family	Betulaceae	Polytrichaceae
Genus	Alnus	Atrichum
Species	Alnus glutinosa	Atrichum angustatum

Evolutionary Relationship

Alder and Lesser Smoothcap share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Alder

LC — Least Concern

Lesser Smoothcap

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder	Lesser Smoothcap
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).

Lesser Smoothcap

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States