coast amaranth vs intermediate polypody

Amaranthus pumilus compared with Polypodium interjectum

Key Differences

• coast amaranth is Extinct while intermediate polypody is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	coast amaranth	intermediate polypody
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Amaranthaceae	Polypodiaceae
Genus	Amaranthus	Polypodium
Species	Amaranthus pumilus	Polypodium interjectum

Evolutionary Relationship

coast amaranth and intermediate polypody share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

intermediate polypody

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	coast amaranth	intermediate polypody
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

coast amaranth

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Japan.

intermediate polypody

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

coast amaranth

Coast amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the eastern United States, where it once grew on coastal foredunes, beach strand, and shell-hash substrates above the high tide line from New York south to South Carolina. It is a low-growing, fleshy plant with small, rounded leaves and inconspicuous green flowers typical of the genus. Coast amaranth is assessed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, as it has not been reliably documented from wild populations since the mid-20th century; the last confirmed collections date to the 1960s. The species' decline and likely extinction resulted from intense human pressure on Atlantic coastal habitats through shoreline development, beach stabilisation, vehicular traffic on beaches, and increased storm frequency disrupting pioneer dune vegetation. It is federally listed as Threatened in the United States, though this listing predates confirmed extinction in the wild. A small number of ex-situ accessions may exist in botanical garden collections. Genetic material and seed banking efforts represent the only remaining conservation options for this critically reduced species.