Common box vs common greasewort

Buxus sempervirens compared with Aneura pinguis

Key Differences

• Common box is Not Evaluated while common greasewort is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common box	common greasewort
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Buxales (Buxales)	Metzgeriales (Metzgeriales)
Family	Buxaceae	Aneuraceae
Genus	Buxus	Aneura
Species	Buxus sempervirens	Aneura pinguis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common box and common greasewort share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Common box

NE — Not Evaluated

common greasewort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common box	common greasewort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common box

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Libya, Sao Tome and Principe), Asia (Armenia, India, Taiwan), Europe (15 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador).

common greasewort

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Common box

The common box (<em>Buxus sempervirens</em>) is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or small tree with one of the widest distributions of any species in its genus, occurring across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. It typically inhabits diverse terrestrial ecosystems, from limestone hillsides and rocky slopes to woodland understories and cultivated gardens. The common box has not been formally evaluated on the IUCN Red List. Long valued in horticulture and topiary, this species is widely cultivated and naturalized far beyond its native range in southern Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. Its dense, hard wood is among the heaviest produced by any European tree, historically used for woodworking and engraving. The species often forms dense thickets in natural settings, providing important shelter for invertebrates and small vertebrates. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

common greasewort

<em>Aneura pinguis</em>, commonly known as common greasewort, is a liverwort belonging to the genus Aneura within the family Aneuraceae. This cryptogamic plant inhabits ecosystems across Asia, Europe, and North America, thriving in moist or waterlogged environments. Its range encompasses Taiwan in Asia, six European countries, the United States in North America, and Brazil and Colombia in South America, indicating a broad geographic distribution across multiple continents. Common greasewort is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The species typically forms flat, ribbon-like thalli in damp habitats such as stream banks, wet rocks, and boggy ground. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 8 countries:

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