Bad-smelling Alkanet vs Bell Heather

Alkanna maleolens compared with Erica cinerea

Key Differences

• Bad-smelling Alkanet is Critically Endangered while Bell Heather is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bad-smelling Alkanet	Bell Heather
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Boraginales (Boraginales)	Ericales (Ericales)
Family	Boraginaceae	Ericaceae
Genus	Alkanna	Erica
Species	Alkanna maleolens	Erica cinerea

Evolutionary Relationship

Bad-smelling Alkanet and Bell Heather share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Bad-smelling Alkanet

CR — Critically Endangered

Bell Heather

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bad-smelling Alkanet	Bell Heather
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bad-smelling Alkanet

Habitat

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

Bell Heather

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Australasia and Oceanian realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bad-smelling Alkanet

The Bad-smelling Alkanet (Alkanna maleolens) is a species in the genus Alkanna. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Bell Heather

The Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) is a species in the genus Erica. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Australasia and Oceanian realms.