Blue star vs Yellow Dodder

Amsonia orientalis compared with Cuscuta campestris

Key Differences

• Blue star is Critically Endangered while Yellow Dodder is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue star	Yellow Dodder
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Gentianales (Gentianales)	Solanales (Solanales)
Family	Apocynaceae	Convolvulaceae
Genus	Amsonia	Cuscuta
Species	Amsonia orientalis	Cuscuta campestris

Evolutionary Relationship

Blue star and Yellow Dodder share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Blue star

CR — Critically Endangered

Yellow Dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue star	Yellow Dodder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue star

Habitat

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

Yellow Dodder

Habitat

Inhabits montane grasslands and shrublands and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (22 countries), Asia (22 countries), Europe (33 countries), North America (Canada), Oceania and the Pacific (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa), and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile).

Blue star

The Blue star (Amsonia orientalis) is a species in the genus Amsonia. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.