Common Crocus vs common greasewort

Crocus vernus compared with Aneura pinguis

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Crocus	common greasewort
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Metzgeriales (Metzgeriales)
Family	Iridaceae	Aneuraceae
Genus	Crocus	Aneura
Species	Crocus vernus	Aneura pinguis

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Common Crocus

NE — Not Evaluated

common greasewort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Crocus

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found across Europe (12 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

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 Crocus

<em>Crocus vernus</em>, commonly known as the common crocus or spring crocus, is a small bulbous perennial plant in the family Iridaceae. Native to Europe, it has been widely cultivated and naturalized across North America. Common crocus typically grows in alpine meadows, subalpine grasslands, and woodland edges, often emerging through snow in early spring, making it one of the earliest flowering plants of the season. The flowers are solitary and cup-shaped, appearing before the leaves, and range in color from white and lilac to deep purple. The species has long been cultivated as an ornamental plant and is one of the parents of many garden crocus cultivars. Its corms are eaten by rodents and its flowers provide an early-season nectar source for bees and other pollinators. 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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States