Andersson's arctic moss vs Clearweed

Arctoa anderssonii compared with Pilea fontana

Key Differences

• Andersson's arctic moss is Endangered while Clearweed is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Andersson's arctic moss	Clearweed
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Dicranales (Dicranales)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family	Rhabdoweisiaceae	Urticaceae
Genus	Arctoa	Pilea
Species	Arctoa anderssonii	Pilea fontana

Evolutionary Relationship

Andersson's arctic moss and Clearweed share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Andersson's arctic moss

EN — Endangered

Clearweed

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Andersson's arctic moss	Clearweed
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Andersson's arctic moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clearweed

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Andersson's arctic moss

The Andersson's arctic moss (Arctoa anderssonii) is a species in the genus Arctoa. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Clearweed

Clearweed, Pilea pumila, is a small, annual herb in the family Urticaceae native to moist, shaded habitats across eastern North America and eastern Asia, including the eastern United States, Canada, eastern China, Japan, and Korea. The species grows in dense colonies in wet woodland, stream banks, floodplain forests, and moist disturbed ground, often forming carpets on rich, moist mineral soils in deeply shaded forest understories. The common name refers to the translucent, watery stems and smooth, bright green leaves, which give the plant an almost glassy appearance. Like its relative stinging nettle, Clearweed is a member of the nettle family but lacks the stinging hairs, making it harmless to touch. The leaves are opposite, broadly ovate with toothed margins, and the plants bear inconspicuous tiny greenish flowers that are wind-pollinated, releasing pollen in small explosive bursts. Clearweed provides food for a variety of insects and invertebrates in moist forest understory communities. The species is not considered threatened and is common across its native range, thriving in the disturbed, humid conditions found along stream margins and in second-growth forest habitats. It is occasionally weedy in gardens and greenhouses.