Balkan Yam vs Castor

Dioscorea balcanica compared with Ricinus communis

Key Differences

Balkan Yam is Near Threatened while Castor is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Yam	Castor
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family	Dioscoreaceae	Euphorbiaceae
Genus	Dioscorea	Ricinus
Species	Dioscorea balcanica	Ricinus communis

Evolutionary Relationship

Balkan Yam and Castor share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Magnoliophyta. (Flowering Plants)

View Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Conservation Status

Balkan Yam

NT — Near Threatened

Castor

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Yam	Castor
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Yam

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Castor

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (33 countries), Asia (26 countries), Europe (23 countries), North America (15 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (14 countries), and South America (12 countries).

Balkan Yam

The Balkan Yam (Dioscorea balcanica) is a species in the genus Dioscorea. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Castor

The Castor (Ricinus communis) is a species in the genus Ricinus. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and hi