Big-Leaf Maple vs Common Eastern Wildrye

Acer macrophyllum compared with Elymus virginicus

Key Differences

• Big-Leaf Maple is Least Concern while Common Eastern Wildrye is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big-Leaf Maple	Common Eastern Wildrye
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Sapindales (Sapindales)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Sapindaceae	Poaceae (Grass Family)
Genus	Acer	Elymus
Species	Acer macrophyllum	Elymus virginicus

Evolutionary Relationship

Big-Leaf Maple and Common Eastern Wildrye share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Magnoliophyta. (Flowering Plants)

Conservation Status

Big-Leaf Maple

LC — Least Concern

Common Eastern Wildrye

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big-Leaf Maple	Common Eastern Wildrye
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big-Leaf Maple

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and United States.

Common Eastern Wildrye

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Sweden, and United States.

Big-Leaf Maple

The Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a species in the genus Acer. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Common Eastern Wildrye

<em>Elymus virginicus</em>, the common eastern wildrye, is a native North American grass in the family Poaceae, currently not evaluated by the IUCN Red List. The species is documented in Denmark, Sweden, and the United States, and typically inhabits grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated lands across its range in eastern and central North America. It is a cool-season, perennial bunchgrass that typically grows in moist to mesic habitats including riverbanks, floodplain woodlands, forest understories, and moist prairies. <em>Elymus virginicus</em> is recognized by its distinctive nodding seed heads with stiff, curved awns and is among the most widely distributed wild rye grasses in North America. The species provides important ecosystem services as a native ground cover, stabilizing streambanks and riparian soils against erosion, and offering habitat and food resources for grassland birds, small mammals, and invertebrates. Common eastern wildrye is also valued in ecological restoration projects for its adaptability to a range of soil conditions and its ability to establish quickly in disturbed habitats. As a forage grass, it is moderately palatable to livestock and wildlife. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States