Alpine Cat'S-Tail vs coast amaranth

Phleum alpinum compared with Amaranthus pumilus

Key Differences

  • Alpine Cat'S-Tail is Least Concern while coast amaranth is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Alpine Cat'S-Tail coast amaranth
Kingdom same Plantae (Plants) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class Liliopsida (Monocots) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Poales (Grasses) Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family Poaceae (Grass Family) Amaranthaceae
Genus Phleum Amaranthus
Species Phleum alpinum Amaranthus pumilus

Evolutionary Relationship

Alpine Cat'S-Tail and coast amaranth share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Magnoliophyta. (Flowering Plants)

Conservation Status

Alpine Cat'S-Tail

LC — Least Concern

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Alpine Cat'S-Tail coast amaranth
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine Cat'S-Tail

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (Canada, Mexico, United States).

coast amaranth

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Japan.

Alpine Cat'S-Tail

The Alpine Cat'S-Tail (Phleum alpinum) is a species in the genus Phleum. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes. Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (Canada, Mexico, 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.

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