Living Beings

    Compare species

    Source-identified Pteridium aquilinum; Source-identified documentary image; see the original file for method and context.

    Common Bracken

    Pteridium aquilinum

    Source-identified Caracal auratus; documentary image

    African Golden Cat

    Caracal auratus

    Pteridium aquilinum 153931398.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Source-identified documentary image; see the original file for method and context. Michel Langeveld · CC BY-SA 4.0

    How to compare two organisms

    Choose two species and trace their closest shared group. Then compare a trait with the same definition on each side. Check the units, life stage and context before interpreting a measurement or range.

    Missing data means that the collection lacks a sourced value. Where a characteristic does not apply to a lineage, the comparison labels it separately. Open the two profiles for context and follow their sources before drawing a conclusion.

    Evidence from the profiles

    Compare their characteristics

    TraitCommon BrackenAfrican Golden Cat
    Physical traitsMature fronds have a broad, roughly triangular outline and are divided repeatedly into smaller segments. Upright stalks arise from underground rhizomes. Spore-producing structures occur along the margins of fertile fronds; a single visible frond represents only part of the plant.The body is robust and the coat varies between reddish and grayish forms. Spotting can be more visible on some parts of the body.
    Habitat and rangeBracken occupies open woodland, clearings, rough grassland and disturbed sites. British ecological studies describe substantial frond cover where growing conditions and disturbance permit. Soil moisture, exposure and the below-ground system influence the structure of a stand.Dense African forest and secondary growth provide cover and hunting habitat.
    Diet and nutritionThe green fronds obtain carbon through photosynthesis. Rhizomes store resources and supply emerging shoots, linking a new season's growth with reserves accumulated earlier. Bracken is not a flowering plant: its reproductive structures and seasonal resource stores have to be understood in the context of a fern life cycle.Rodents and other forest mammals are important prey. Birds and additional small animals may also be taken.
    Behavior and activityGrowth is expressed as repeated emergence of fronds from the rhizome system. Rapid canopy development changes the light reaching the ground. Underground growth can survive the loss of visible fronds and supply renewed growth after disturbance.It is generally solitary and difficult to observe in dense cover. Sparse observations should not be treated as a complete account of its daily behavior.
    Reproduction and life cycleSpores develop into a small, separate gametophyte generation. Fertilization starts the new sporophyte that becomes the large fern. Vegetative spread through rhizomes also extends established stands, independently of establishment from spores.Data unavailable
    Geographic distributionKew's current Plants of the World Online treatment gives the accepted species a native range in Macaronesia, northern and northeastern tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Europe eastward to Siberia and Iran. This is narrower than older statements that bracken is nearly worldwide. Occurrences assigned to other Pteridium species are not silently combined here, and this summary is not a specimen-level distribution map.The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Benin?, Burundi?, Gambia?, Guinea-Bissau?, Kenya?, Rwanda?, Senegal?, Sudan?, Togo?.
    Ecological roleDense fronds and accumulated litter affect the establishment of neighboring vegetation. The British flora account identifies stored rhizome resources, rapid spring growth and canopy development as important components of competitive ability. Their effects vary with environment and management.Data unavailable
    Distinctive adaptationsProtected underground reserves support recovery after above-ground disturbance. Rhizome growth and seasonal frond production allow a stand to persist even when individual fronds are short-lived. The connection between stored reserves and new shoots is central to this growth strategy.Data unavailable
    ConservationNo global threat category is assigned in this profile. Local management often concerns the persistence and dominance of stands. Range and management records must be matched to the species concept used in the regional flora.Data unavailable

    Classification

    Shared ancestry

    Closest shared taxon: Eukaryota.

    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    kingdomViridiplantaephylumStreptophytaclassPolypodiopsidaorderPolypodialesfamilyDennstaedtiaceaegenusPteridiumspeciesPteridium aquilinum
    kingdomAnimaliaphylumChordataclassMammaliaorderCarnivorafamilyFelidaegenusCaracalspeciesCaracal auratus
    Explore the taxonomy ↗

    Sources from both profiles

    More comparisons