Angelin vs Choke

Andira inermis compared with Epichloe typhina

Key Differences

  • Angelin is Least Concern while Choke is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Angelin Choke
Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order Fabales (Legumes & Allies) Hypocreales (Hypocreales)
Family Fabaceae Clavicipitaceae
Genus Andira Epichloe
Species Andira inermis Epichloe typhina

Conservation Status

Angelin

LC — Least Concern

Choke

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Angelin Choke
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Angelin

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Chad, Guinea), Asia (India, Singapore), North America (Cuba), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Choke

Habitat

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

Range

Found in United States.

Angelin

The Angelin (Andira inermis) is a species in the genus Andira. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic and Indom.

Choke

Choke (Epichloe typhina) is an endophytic and pathogenic fungus in the family Clavicipitaceae, phylum Ascomycota, that colonises the tissues of various cool-season grasses (Poaceae) across Europe and North America. The name refers to the disease it causes — infected grass tillers are typically 'choked' (prevented from flowering) when the fungus produces a dense, white to cream-coloured, stromata (a compact fungal structure) that surrounds the flowering stem before it can emerge, suppressing seed production. Epichloe species exist along a mutualism-parasitism continuum; some strains are biotrophic endophytes living almost entirely within grass tissues without obvious symptoms and conferring benefits to the host such as increased drought resistance and deterrence of herbivores through alkaloid production, while others — including E. typhina — are more parasitic in nature, sterilising infected host tillers. The fungus spreads via airborne ascospores produced on its stroma that infect new host plants. Related Epichloe/Neotyphodium endophytes are of great practical importance to agriculture as they produce ergot alkaloids and other compounds that can cause toxicosis in livestock grazing infected pasture grasses. As a fungal pathogen/endophyte rather than a wildlife species, it is Not Evaluated by the IUCN.

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