Clusterspike False Indigo vs

Amorpha crenulata compared with Comatricha alta

Key Differences

• Clusterspike False Indigo is Critically Endangered while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clusterspike False Indigo
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Protozoa (protozoa)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Mycetozoa
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Myxomycetes (Myxomycetes)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Stemonitidales
Family	Fabaceae	Stemonitidaceae
Genus	Amorpha	Comatricha
Species	Amorpha crenulata	Comatricha alta

Conservation Status

Clusterspike False Indigo

CR — Critically Endangered

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clusterspike False Indigo
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clusterspike False Indigo

Habitat

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

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Clusterspike False Indigo

Amorpha crenulata, known as clusterspike false indigo or crenulate lead plant, is a critically endangered flowering shrub in the family Fabaceae with a highly restricted distribution confined to Miami-Dade County in southern Florida, USA. This species represents one of North America's rarest plants, with remaining populations numbering in the hundreds of individuals occurring in pine rockland habitat, an ecosystem itself ranked among the most imperiled in the United States. Pine rocklands are fire-dependent communities on exposed oolitic limestone, characterized by an open canopy of slash pine over diverse understory, and have been reduced to less than two percent of their historical extent by urban development in the Miami metropolitan area. Amorpha crenulata produces elongated spikes of small purple flowers typical of the genus and was historically more widespread across the Miami Rock Ridge before land development eliminated most habitat. Current populations exist primarily within Everglades National Park and a few private preserves. Its Critically Endangered status reflects the tiny remaining population, extreme habitat restriction, ongoing threats from urbanization, altered fire regimes, and sea-level rise that threatens low-elevation limestone habitats. Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection, controlled burning to maintain pine rockland structure, and ex situ seed banking.

<em>Comatricha alta</em> is a myxomycete, or plasmodial slime mold, belonging to the order Stemonitidales within the class Myxomycetes. Like all members of the genus <em>Comatricha</em>, it occupies a unique position in the tree of life, exhibiting characteristics that were historically associated with both fungi and protozoa but are now classified within the supergroup Amoebozoa. The species produces fruiting bodies consisting of delicate, thread-like capillitial networks enclosed within a peridium, and forms spores that are dispersed by air currents. <em>C. alta</em> has been documented from Europe, where it occurs on decaying woody substrates such as rotting logs, fallen bark, and dead plant matter in forested and shaded environments. It thrives in moist, humid conditions that support the feeding plasmodial stage, during which it engulfs bacteria, fungal spores, and organic particles. No quantitative biological traits data are available for this species.