Bad-smelling Alkanet vs Common Currant

Alkanna maleolens compared with Ribes rubrum

Key Differences

• Bad-smelling Alkanet is Critically Endangered while Common Currant is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bad-smelling Alkanet	Common Currant
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Boraginales (Boraginales)	Saxifragales (Saxifragales)
Family	Boraginaceae	Grossulariaceae
Genus	Alkanna	Ribes
Species	Alkanna maleolens	Ribes rubrum

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Bad-smelling Alkanet

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Currant

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bad-smelling Alkanet	Common Currant
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.

Common Currant

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Armenia, Japan, Turkey), Europe (22 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Brazil).

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.

Common Currant

<em>Ribes rubrum</em>, commonly known as common currant or red currant, is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae. It is native to western Europe and parts of Asia and has been widely cultivated and naturalized across North America and South America. Common currant typically grows in moist, fertile soils in woodland edges, hedgerows, riverbanks, and disturbed habitats. The species produces clusters of small, translucent red berries that are rich in vitamin C and commonly used in jams, jellies, juices, and desserts. Its lobed leaves resemble those of maple and turn yellow in autumn. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, borne in pendulous racemes in spring. Red currant is an important food source for birds and small mammals. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.