Bad-smelling Alkanet vs Common gorse

Alkanna maleolens compared with Ulex europaeus

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bad-smelling Alkanet	Common gorse
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Boraginales (Boraginales)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Boraginaceae	Fabaceae
Genus	Alkanna	Ulex
Species	Alkanna maleolens	Ulex europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Bad-smelling Alkanet

CR — Critically Endangered

Common gorse

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bad-smelling Alkanet	Common gorse
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 gorse

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (4 countries), Asia (8 countries), Europe (15 countries), North America (6 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (8 countries).

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 gorse

<em>Ulex europaeus</em>, commonly known as common gorse, is a spiny evergreen shrub belonging to the genus Ulex within the legume family Fabaceae. The species occupies a remarkable breadth of habitat types, including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, dry broadleaf forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among at least eight recognized biome categories. Its global range is exceptionally wide, spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, with records from numerous countries on each continent. Notably introduced and sometimes invasive outside its European origin, common gorse typically colonizes disturbed lands, heathlands, and coastal scrub. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.