Appalachian Polypody vs coast amaranth

Polypodium appalachianum compared with Amaranthus pumilus

Key Differences

• Appalachian Polypody is Not Evaluated while coast amaranth is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Appalachian Polypody	coast amaranth
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Polypodiaceae	Amaranthaceae
Genus	Polypodium	Amaranthus
Species	Polypodium appalachianum	Amaranthus pumilus

Evolutionary Relationship

Appalachian Polypody and coast amaranth share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Appalachian Polypody

NE — Not Evaluated

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Appalachian Polypody	coast amaranth
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Appalachian Polypody

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Canada, France, and United States.

coast amaranth

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Japan.

Appalachian Polypody

The Appalachian Polypody (Polypodium appalachianum) is a species in the genus Polypodium. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

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.