Cape Star-chestnut vs Castor

Sterculia alexandri compared with Ricinus communis

Key Differences

• Cape Star-chestnut is Vulnerable while Castor is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cape Star-chestnut	Castor
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Malvales (Malvales)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family	Malvaceae	Euphorbiaceae
Genus	Sterculia	Ricinus
Species	Sterculia alexandri	Ricinus communis

Evolutionary Relationship

Cape Star-chestnut and Castor share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Cape Star-chestnut

VU — Vulnerable

Castor

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cape Star-chestnut	Castor
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cape Star-chestnut

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).

Cape Star-chestnut

The Cape Star-chestnut (Sterculia alexandri) is a species in the genus Sterculia. It is currently classified as Vulnerable (VU) 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