Bay-rush vs coast amaranth

Zamia integrifolia compared with Amaranthus pumilus

Key Differences

• Bay-rush is Near Threatened while coast amaranth is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bay-rush	coast amaranth
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Cycadopsida (Cycadopsida)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Cycadales (Cycadales)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Zamiaceae	Amaranthaceae
Genus	Zamia	Amaranthus
Species	Zamia integrifolia	Amaranthus pumilus

Evolutionary Relationship

Bay-rush and coast amaranth share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Bay-rush

NT — Near Threatened

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bay-rush	coast amaranth
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bay-rush

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found in Cuba. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

coast amaranth

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Japan.

Bay-rush

The Bay-rush (Zamia integrifolia) is a species in the genus Zamia. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotrop

coast amaranth

Coast amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the eastern United States, where it once grew on coastal foredunes, beach strand, and shell-hash substrates above the high tide line from New York south to South Carolina. It is a low-growing, fleshy plant with small, rounded leaves and inconspicuous green flowers typical of the genus. Coast amaranth is assessed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, as it has not been reliably documented from wild populations since the mid-20th century; the last confirmed collections date to the 1960s. The species' decline and likely extinction resulted from intense human pressure on Atlantic coastal habitats through shoreline development, beach stabilisation, vehicular traffic on beaches, and increased storm frequency disrupting pioneer dune vegetation. It is federally listed as Threatened in the United States, though this listing predates confirmed extinction in the wild. A small number of ex-situ accessions may exist in botanical garden collections. Genetic material and seed banking efforts represent the only remaining conservation options for this critically reduced species.