Castor vs Common Sensitive-Plant

Ricinus communis compared with Mimosa pudica

Key Differences

• Castor is Not Evaluated while Common Sensitive-Plant is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Castor	Common Sensitive-Plant
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Euphorbiaceae	Fabaceae
Genus	Ricinus	Mimosa
Species	Ricinus communis	Mimosa pudica

Evolutionary Relationship

Castor and Common Sensitive-Plant share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Castor

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Sensitive-Plant

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Castor	Common Sensitive-Plant
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic 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).

Common Sensitive-Plant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (22 countries), Asia (19 countries), Europe (Spain, Sweden), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (13 countries), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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

Common Sensitive-Plant

<em>Mimosa pudica</em>, the common sensitive plant, is a pantropical annual or perennial herb in the family Fabaceae, order Fabales, native to South and Central America but now naturalized across tropical Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America. This species is best known for its rapid thigmonastic leaf movements — leaflets and petioles fold inward and droop within seconds of being touched or disturbed, a response thought to deter herbivores and reduce water loss. <em>Mimosa pudica</em> typically grows as a sprawling, prickly herb in disturbed habitats including roadsides, pastures, and degraded lands, and produces small pink to purple spherical flower heads. The seeds are dispersed via various vectors and germinate readily, contributing to its success as an invasive species in many regions outside its native range. The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution and high adaptability. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature in terms of standardized averages for lifespan, plant height, and weight, though its growth habit and ecological behavior as a pioneer and potential invasive are well characterized.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 50 countries:

🇦🇺 Australia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso 🇧🇮 Burundi 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇨🇫 Central African Republic 🇨🇳 China 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇰🇲 Comoros 🇨🇩 Congo (DRC) 🇨🇺 Cuba 🇸🇻 El Salvador 🇫🇯 Fiji 🇬🇲 Gambia 🇬🇭 Ghana 🇬🇳 Guinea 🇭🇳 Honduras 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇮 Kiribati 🇲🇬 Madagascar 🇲🇼 Malawi 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇲🇻 Maldives 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands 🇫🇲 Micronesia 🇳🇷 Nauru 🇳🇵 Nepal 🇵🇼 Palau 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇼🇸 Samoa 🇸🇳 Senegal 🇸🇨 Seychelles 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste 🇹🇴 Tonga 🇹🇻 Tuvalu 🇺🇬 Uganda 🇺🇸 United States 🇻🇺 Vanuatu 🇻🇳 Vietnam 🇿🇲 Zambia 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe