Catkin Yew vs

Amentotaxus argotaenia compared with Cliostomum leprosum

Key Differences

• Catkin Yew is Near Threatened while is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Catkin Yew
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Coniferophyta (Conifers)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Pinopsida (Conifers)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Pinales (Pines & Allies)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Taxaceae	Ramalinaceae
Genus	Amentotaxus	Cliostomum
Species	Amentotaxus argotaenia	Cliostomum leprosum

Conservation Status

Catkin Yew

NT — Near Threatened

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Catkin Yew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Catkin Yew

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Habitat

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

Range

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

Catkin Yew

The Catkin Yew (Amentotaxus argotaenia) is a species in the genus Amentotaxus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Cliostomum leprosum is a crustose lichen-forming fungus in the family Ramalinaceae, notable for its powdery, leprose thallus that gives it a granular, mealy appearance on bark and wood substrates. Unlike many lichens that form well-defined, structured thalli, C. leprosum produces a loosely coherent sorediose crust ranging from pale greenish-grey to whitish, often colonizing deeply shaded, moist bark on deciduous and coniferous trees. The species is distributed across boreal and temperate forests of Europe and North America, with confirmed records from Norway, Sweden, and scattered locations in the United States. It photosynthesizes in partnership with green algal partners typical of crustose lichens. Cliostomum leprosum is assessed as Vulnerable due to its sensitivity to air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide and nitrogen compounds that degrade lichen communities. Its decline is linked to habitat loss from intensive forestry, removal of veteran trees, and acidic deposition. Conservation efforts focus on preserving old-growth and semi-natural forest stands that provide suitable, low-disturbance bark microhabitats where this inconspicuous but ecologically significant lichen can persist.