common greasewort vs limestone fern

Aneura pinguis compared with Gymnocarpium robertianum

Key Differences

• common greasewort is Least Concern while limestone fern is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common greasewort	limestone fern
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Tracheophyta
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Metzgeriales (Metzgeriales)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Aneuraceae	Cystopteridaceae
Genus	Aneura	Gymnocarpium
Species	Aneura pinguis	Gymnocarpium robertianum

Evolutionary Relationship

common greasewort and limestone fern share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

common greasewort

LC — Least Concern

limestone fern

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common greasewort	limestone fern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

limestone fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

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

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:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden