Arctic grass vs Smooth Map Lichen

Arctagrostis latifolia compared with Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Key Differences

• Arctic grass is Near Threatened while Smooth Map Lichen is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic grass	Smooth Map Lichen
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Rhizocarpales (Rhizocarpales)
Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)	Rhizocarpaceae
Genus	Arctagrostis	Rhizocarpon
Species	Arctagrostis latifolia	Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Conservation Status

Arctic grass

NT — Near Threatened

Smooth Map Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic grass	Smooth Map Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic grass

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Smooth Map Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Arctic grass

The Arctic grass (Arctagrostis latifolia) is a species in the genus Arctagrostis. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden