Boxthorn vs Castor

Lycium shawii compared with Ricinus communis

Key Differences

• Boxthorn is Least Concern while Castor is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Boxthorn	Castor
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family	Solanaceae	Euphorbiaceae
Genus	Lycium	Ricinus
Species	Lycium shawii	Ricinus communis

Evolutionary Relationship

Boxthorn and Castor share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Boxthorn

LC — Least Concern

Castor

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Boxthorn	Castor
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Boxthorn

Habitat

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

Castor

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (33 countries), Asia (26 countries), Europe (23 countries), North America (15 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (14 countries), and South America (12 countries).

Boxthorn

The Boxthorn (Lycium shawii) is a species in the genus Lycium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Castor

The Castor (Ricinus communis) is a species in the genus Ricinus. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and hi