coast amaranth vs Mérida Nightshade

Amaranthus pumilus compared with Solanum ripense

Key Differences

• coast amaranth is Extinct while Mérida Nightshade is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	coast amaranth	Mérida Nightshade
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Solanales (Solanales)
Family	Amaranthaceae	Solanaceae
Genus	Amaranthus	Solanum
Species	Amaranthus pumilus	Solanum ripense

Evolutionary Relationship

coast amaranth and Mérida Nightshade share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Mérida Nightshade

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	coast amaranth	Mérida Nightshade
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.

Mérida Nightshade

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Colombia.

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.