Bennetts tree-kangaroo vs climbing groundsel

Dendrolagus bennettianus compared with Senecio angulatus

Key Differences

• Bennetts tree-kangaroo is Near Threatened while climbing groundsel is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bennetts tree-kangaroo	climbing groundsel
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Macropodidae (Kangaroos)	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Dendrolagus	Senecio
Species	Dendrolagus bennettianus	Senecio angulatus

Conservation Status

Bennetts tree-kangaroo

NT — Near Threatened

climbing groundsel

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bennetts tree-kangaroo	climbing groundsel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bennetts tree-kangaroo

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

climbing groundsel

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (10 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Chile).

Bennetts tree-kangaroo

The Bennetts tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus) is a species in the genus Dendrolagus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

climbing groundsel

Climbing Groundsel, Senecio angulatus, is a woody, scrambling perennial vine in the family Asteraceae native to South Africa, particularly the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, where it grows in coastal scrub, fynbos margins, and forest edges. The species produces yellow daisy-like flower heads in terminal clusters from autumn through spring, which are followed by fluffy white achenes dispersed by wind. Climbing Groundsel has become widely naturalized and highly invasive in many parts of the world where it has been introduced as a garden ornamental, including Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe. In Australia, it is listed as a major environmental weed in southeastern states, particularly New South Wales and Victoria, where it invades coastal heath, dry sclerophyll forest, and urban bush remnants, smothering native vegetation with dense scrambling growth. The plant regenerates readily from stem fragments and produces abundant wind-dispersed seeds. Control in invaded habitats requires sustained effort combining physical removal and herbicide application. In its native South African range, Senecio angulatus is part of diverse coastal scrub communities and is not considered threatened. The genus Senecio is one of the largest flowering plant genera in the world, with species ranging from annuals to giant tree groundsels in tropical alpine zones.