Blackboard Tree vs

Alstonia scholaris compared with Chroococcus planctonicus

Key Differences

• Blackboard Tree is Least Concern while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackboard Tree
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)	Cyanobacteria (藍菌門)
Class	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)	Cyanobacteriia
Order	Gentianales (龙胆目)	Cyanobacteriales (蓝菌目)
Family	Apocynaceae	Microcystaceae
Genus	Alstonia	Chroococcus
Species	Alstonia scholaris	Chroococcus planctonicus

Conservation Status

Blackboard Tree

LC — Least Concern

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackboard Tree
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackboard Tree

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Oceanian biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Micronesia, Taiwan, and United States.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Blackboard Tree

The Blackboard Tree (Alstonia scholaris) is a species in the genus Alstonia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Oceanian biogeographic realm.

Chroococcus planctonicus is a species of cyanobacteria in the family Chroococcaceae, adapted to the planktonic lifestyle suggested by its specific epithet. Unlike some Chroococcus species that are primarily benthic or periphytic — attached to substrates — Chroococcus planctonicus is characteristic of open-water plankton communities in freshwater lakes and ponds. Planktonic cyanobacteria must maintain a position in the water column for optimal light exposure, and some have evolved gas vesicles to regulate buoyancy, though these are more developed in filamentous bloom-forming genera. Chroococcus planctonicus cells are spherical, occurring in pairs or tetrads within gelatinous sheaths, following the basic morphological plan of the genus. It has been documented from European freshwater systems including Swedish and Finnish lakes, where it contributes to the seasonal phytoplankton community. Cyanobacteria are important primary producers in freshwater ecosystems, particularly in summer when warm temperatures and stratified water columns favor their growth. However, Chroococcus planctonicus is not generally associated with harmful algal blooms, which are more characteristic of genera such as Microcystis and Anabaena. Its conservation status has not been assessed.