Common Marsh-Mallow vs Laysan Duck

Althaea officinalis compared with Anas laysanensis

Key Differences

Common Marsh-Mallow is Near Threatened while Laysan Duck is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Marsh-Mallow	Laysan Duck
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Malvales (Malvales)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Malvaceae	Anatidae
Genus	Althaea	Anas
Species	Althaea officinalis	Anas laysanensis

Conservation Status

Common Marsh-Mallow

NT — Near Threatened

Laysan Duck

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Marsh-Mallow	Laysan Duck
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Marsh-Mallow

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and temperate coniferous forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Algeria), Asia (India), Europe (13 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Peru). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Laysan Duck

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, Norway, and United Kingdom. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Marsh-Mallow

<em>Althaea officinalis</em>, the common marsh mallow, is a tall perennial herb in the family Malvaceae, native to Europe and western Asia and now widely distributed across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. It is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. This species typically grows in saltmarshes, brackish ditches, damp meadows, and coastal habitats, and is also cultivated in gardens for its ornamental and medicinal properties. Common marsh mallow produces pale pink, five-petalled flowers and lobed, velvety leaves covered in soft hairs. It has a long history of medicinal use, with roots, leaves, and flowers employed to soothe mucous membranes and treat respiratory and digestive ailments. The original marshmallow confection was prepared from the mucilaginous root extract of this species. It grows in a range of biome types including grasslands, wetlands, and forest edges. Habitat loss, particularly of coastal wetlands, represents the primary pressure on populations across its native range.

Laysan Duck

Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.