Broad Scalewort vs Castor

Porella obtusata compared with Ricinus communis

Key Differences

• Broad Scalewort is Endangered while Castor is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broad Scalewort	Castor
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Porellales (Porellales)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family	Porellaceae	Euphorbiaceae
Genus	Porella	Ricinus
Species	Porella obtusata	Ricinus communis

Evolutionary Relationship

Broad Scalewort and Castor share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Broad Scalewort

EN — Endangered

Castor

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broad Scalewort	Castor
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broad Scalewort

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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).

Broad Scalewort

The Broad Scalewort (Porella obtusata) is a species in the genus Porella. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States