Crozalsis Sternlebermoos vs Zweigabeliges Sternlebermoos

Riccia crozalsii compared with Riccia bifurca

Key Differences

• Crozalsis Sternlebermoos is Vulnerable while Zweigabeliges Sternlebermoos is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Crozalsis Sternlebermoos	Zweigabeliges Sternlebermoos
Kingdom same	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Plantae (Pflanzen)
Phylum same	Marchantiophyta (Lebermoose)	Marchantiophyta (Lebermoose)
Class same	Marchantiopsida (Marchantiopsida)	Marchantiopsida (Marchantiopsida)
Order same	Marchantiales (Marchantiales)	Marchantiales (Marchantiales)
Family same	Ricciaceae	Ricciaceae
Genus same	Riccia	Riccia
Species	Riccia crozalsii	Riccia bifurca

Evolutionary Relationship

Crozalsis Sternlebermoos and Zweigabeliges Sternlebermoos share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Riccia.

Conservation Status

Crozalsis Sternlebermoos

VU — Vulnerable

Zweigabeliges Sternlebermoos

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Crozalsis Sternlebermoos	Zweigabeliges Sternlebermoos
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Crozalsis Sternlebermoos

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

Zweigabeliges Sternlebermoos

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Australasia and Oceanian realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Crozalsis Sternlebermoos

Ciliate crystalwort (Riccia crozalsii) is a thalloid liverwort in the family Ricciaceae, classified as Vulnerable in Europe. It grows as a flat, strap-like or rosette-forming thallus, typically in damp, disturbed or ephemeral habitats such as the margins of seasonal pools, rutted tracks, and temporarily flooded ground with sparse vegetation cover. The species is characterized by thallus margins fringed with fine cilia-like teeth, which give it its common name. Riccia crozalsii is found in Mediterranean and Atlantic regions of Europe, with records from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and parts of the British Isles, though populations are generally sparse and localized. It tends to appear in winter and spring when suitable wet conditions prevail, and the thallus desiccates or disappears during dry summer months. The species is assessed as Vulnerable due to the loss and degradation of its specialized ephemeral wetland habitats, driven by drainage, agricultural intensification, and altered hydrological regimes across Europe. As with many liverworts dependent on wet, open habitats, Riccia crozalsii has experienced declines in regions where traditional low-intensity land management practices have been abandoned. Monitoring and protection of ephemeral pool and wetland margins are key conservation actions for this species.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal