Common Bladder Moss vs common greasewort

Physcomitrium pyriforme compared with Aneura pinguis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Common Bladder Moss common greasewort
Kingdom same Plantae (Plants) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum Bryophyta Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class Bryopsida (Bryopsida) Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order Funariales (Funariales) Metzgeriales (Metzgeriales)
Family Funariaceae Aneuraceae
Genus Physcomitrium Aneura
Species Physcomitrium pyriforme Aneura pinguis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Bladder Moss and common greasewort share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Common Bladder Moss

LC — Least Concern

common greasewort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Common Bladder Moss common greasewort
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Bladder Moss

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg, Portugal, and United States.

common greasewort

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Common Bladder Moss

The common bladder moss (<em>Physcomitrium pyriforme</em>) is a small annual moss belonging to the family Funariaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is native to Europe and North America, with confirmed records from Luxembourg, Portugal, and the United States. <em>Physcomitrium pyriforme</em> typically colonizes disturbed, moist soils such as cultivated fields, riverbanks, and pond margins, where it forms low-growing green mats or cushions. The species is an ephemeral moss, completing its life cycle rapidly after disturbance events that expose bare soil. It is recognizable by its pear-shaped or inflated capsules borne on short setae, which give the species its common name. Spores are dispersed through the splitting of the capsule lid, and the plant often takes advantage of temporarily wet conditions for growth and reproduction. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

common greasewort

<em>Aneura pinguis</em>, commonly known as common greasewort, is a liverwort belonging to the genus Aneura within the family Aneuraceae. This cryptogamic plant inhabits ecosystems across Asia, Europe, and North America, thriving in moist or waterlogged environments. Its range encompasses Taiwan in Asia, six European countries, the United States in North America, and Brazil and Colombia in South America, indicating a broad geographic distribution across multiple continents. Common greasewort is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The species typically forms flat, ribbon-like thalli in damp habitats such as stream banks, wet rocks, and boggy ground. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia