Appalachian Shield Lichen vs coast amaranth

Parmelia neodiscordans compared with Amaranthus pumilus

Key Differences

Appalachian Shield Lichen is Not Evaluated while coast amaranth is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Appalachian Shield Lichen	coast amaranth
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Amaranthaceae
Genus	Parmelia	Amaranthus
Species	Parmelia neodiscordans	Amaranthus pumilus

Conservation Status

Appalachian Shield Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Appalachian Shield Lichen	coast amaranth
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Appalachian Shield Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

coast amaranth

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Japan.

Appalachian Shield Lichen

The Appalachian Shield Lichen (Parmelia neodiscordans) is a species in the genus Parmelia. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.