alpine silverwort vs Common Oak Fern

Anthelia julacea compared with Gymnocarpium dryopteris

Key Differences

• alpine silverwort is Least Concern while Common Oak Fern is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	alpine silverwort	Common Oak Fern
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Tracheophyta
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Antheliaceae	Cystopteridaceae
Genus	Anthelia	Gymnocarpium
Species	Anthelia julacea	Gymnocarpium dryopteris

Evolutionary Relationship

alpine silverwort and Common Oak Fern share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

alpine silverwort

LC — Least Concern

Common Oak Fern

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	alpine silverwort	Common Oak Fern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

alpine silverwort

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Common Oak Fern

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

alpine silverwort

The Alpine silverwort (Anthelia julacea) is a species in the genus Anthelia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region. Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Common Oak Fern

<em>Gymnocarpium dryopteris</em>, the common oak fern, is a delicate terrestrial fern in the family Cystopteridaceae (or Woodsiaceae, depending on classification). Despite its common name, the species is not specifically associated with oak trees; rather, it typically grows in cool, moist, shaded environments including boreal and mixed forests, rocky woodland slopes, stream banks, and shaded cliff faces. <em>Gymnocarpium dryopteris</em> spreads by rhizomes and forms low, spreading colonies with characteristic triangular, three-pinnate fronds that emerge from a slender creeping rootstock. Its geographic range spans Europe and North America, with populations in cool temperate and boreal zones. The species is currently assessed as Critically Endangered in certain regional assessments, suggesting that particular populations face severe decline, likely due to habitat loss, forest fragmentation, and altered hydrology, even if the species retains a broader global range. Biological traits such as lifespan, body size, and diet remain poorly documented at a standardized population level. <em>Gymnocarpium dryopteris</em> is a characteristic indicator of undisturbed cool woodland habitats and is valued for both its ecological role in forest understoreys and its aesthetic appeal.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden