Castor vs Lesser Smoothcap

Ricinus communis compared with Atrichum angustatum

Key Differences

• Castor is Not Evaluated while Lesser Smoothcap is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Castor	Lesser Smoothcap
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Bryophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Polytrichopsida (Polytrichopsida)
Order	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Polytrichales (Polytrichales)
Family	Euphorbiaceae	Polytrichaceae
Genus	Ricinus	Atrichum
Species	Ricinus communis	Atrichum angustatum

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Castor

NE — Not Evaluated

Lesser Smoothcap

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Castor	Lesser Smoothcap
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).

Lesser Smoothcap

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States