Changeable Rock-moss vs Common Kidney-Vetch

Andreaea mutabilis compared with Anthyllis vulneraria

Key Differences

• Changeable Rock-moss is Not Evaluated while Common Kidney-Vetch is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Changeable Rock-moss	Common Kidney-Vetch
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Andreaeopsida (Andreaeopsida)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Andreaeales (Andreaeales)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Andreaeaceae	Fabaceae
Genus	Andreaea	Anthyllis
Species	Andreaea mutabilis	Anthyllis vulneraria

Evolutionary Relationship

Changeable Rock-moss and Common Kidney-Vetch share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Changeable Rock-moss

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Kidney-Vetch

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Changeable Rock-moss	Common Kidney-Vetch
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Changeable Rock-moss

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Common Kidney-Vetch

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Oceanian and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Libya), Asia (Japan), Europe (9 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Changeable Rock-moss

The Changeable Rock-moss (Andreaea mutabilis) is a species in the genus Andreaea. Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Common Kidney-Vetch

Common Kidney-Vetch (<em>Anthyllis vulneraria</em>) is a flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae, assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to habitat degradation and agricultural intensification across parts of its range. It is widely distributed across Africa (Libya), Asia (Japan), Europe (nine countries), North America (Canada and the United States), and Oceania (Australia), occupying six distinct biome types and occurring within the Indomalayan and Oceanian biogeographic realms. The species typically grows in dry, calcareous grasslands, coastal cliffs, sand dunes, and rocky slopes, often favoring nutrient-poor soils. It is an important larval food plant for certain butterfly species, particularly the Small Blue butterfly in Europe, and contributes to soil fertility through nitrogen fixation via root nodules. Its cheerful yellow, orange, or red flower heads make it a recognizable component of chalk and limestone grassland communities. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden