Bedstraw vs coast amaranth

Galium aparine compared with Amaranthus pumilus

Key Differences

  • Bedstraw is Least Concern while coast amaranth is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Bedstraw coast amaranth
Kingdom same Plantae (Plants) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Gentianales (Gentianales) Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family Rubiaceae Amaranthaceae
Genus Galium Amaranthus
Species Galium aparine Amaranthus pumilus

Evolutionary Relationship

Bedstraw and coast amaranth share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Bedstraw

LC — Least Concern

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Bedstraw coast amaranth
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bedstraw

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Burundi, Madagascar), Asia (China, Nepal, Pakistan), Europe (11 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (5 countries).

coast amaranth

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Japan.

Bedstraw

The Bedstraw (Galium aparine) is a species in the genus Galium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found.

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.

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