Ciliated German Pellitory vs Smooth Stonewort

Anacyclus ciliatus compared with Nitella flexilis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ciliated German Pellitory	Smooth Stonewort
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Charophyta (Charophyta)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Charophyceae (Charophyceae)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Charales (Charales)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Characeae
Genus	Anacyclus	Nitella
Species	Anacyclus ciliatus	Nitella flexilis

Evolutionary Relationship

Ciliated German Pellitory and Smooth Stonewort share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Ciliated German Pellitory

LC — Least Concern

Smooth Stonewort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ciliated German Pellitory	Smooth Stonewort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ciliated German Pellitory

Habitat

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

Smooth Stonewort

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Ciliated German Pellitory

Ciliated German pellitory (Anacyclus ciliatus) is an annual or short-lived perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin. It produces prostrate to ascending stems bearing finely divided, feathery leaves and daisy-like flower heads with white ray florets and a yellow disc. The species grows in dry, open habitats such as rocky slopes, garrigue, abandoned fields, roadsides, and coastal scrub, preferring calcareous soils with low fertility and good drainage. Its distribution spans southern Europe, North Africa, and the Near East, encompassing the core of the Mediterranean climatic zone. Anacyclus ciliatus is classified as Least Concern, with widespread populations across its native range. The genus Anacyclus includes several species with similar morphology, and its taxonomy has been subject to revision. Like many Mediterranean annuals, ciliated German pellitory completes its life cycle during the cool, wet winter and spring months, producing abundant seed before the summer drought. It is a component of traditional Mediterranean dry grassland and rocky vegetation communities. Some Anacyclus species have been investigated for medicinal properties, particularly root extracts showing anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. Conservation of Mediterranean garrigue and dry grassland habitats benefits this species alongside many other endemic plants of the region.