Bad-smelling Alkanet vs

Alkanna maleolens compared with Chroococcus planctonicus

Key Differences

• Bad-smelling Alkanet is Critically Endangered while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bad-smelling Alkanet
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Cyanobacteriia
Order	Boraginales (Boraginales)	Cyanobacteriales
Family	Boraginaceae	Microcystaceae
Genus	Alkanna	Chroococcus
Species	Alkanna maleolens	Chroococcus planctonicus

Conservation Status

Bad-smelling Alkanet

CR — Critically Endangered

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bad-smelling Alkanet
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.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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.

Chroococcus planctonicus is a species of cyanobacteria in the family Chroococcaceae, adapted to the planktonic lifestyle suggested by its specific epithet. Unlike some Chroococcus species that are primarily benthic or periphytic — attached to substrates — Chroococcus planctonicus is characteristic of open-water plankton communities in freshwater lakes and ponds. Planktonic cyanobacteria must maintain a position in the water column for optimal light exposure, and some have evolved gas vesicles to regulate buoyancy, though these are more developed in filamentous bloom-forming genera. Chroococcus planctonicus cells are spherical, occurring in pairs or tetrads within gelatinous sheaths, following the basic morphological plan of the genus. It has been documented from European freshwater systems including Swedish and Finnish lakes, where it contributes to the seasonal phytoplankton community. Cyanobacteria are important primary producers in freshwater ecosystems, particularly in summer when warm temperatures and stratified water columns favor their growth. However, Chroococcus planctonicus is not generally associated with harmful algal blooms, which are more characteristic of genera such as Microcystis and Anabaena. Its conservation status has not been assessed.