Fountain Apple-Moss vs Tufted Apple-Moss

Philonotis fontana compared with Philonotis caespitosa

Key Differences

• Fountain Apple-Moss is Least Concern while Tufted Apple-Moss is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fountain Apple-Moss	Tufted Apple-Moss
Kingdom same	Plantae (植物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum same	Bryophyta	Bryophyta
Class same	Bryopsida (マゴケ綱)	Bryopsida (マゴケ綱)
Order same	Bartramiales (Bartramiales)	Bartramiales (Bartramiales)
Family same	Bartramiaceae	Bartramiaceae
Genus same	Philonotis	Philonotis
Species	Philonotis fontana	Philonotis caespitosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Fountain Apple-Moss and Tufted Apple-Moss share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Philonotis.

Conservation Status

Fountain Apple-Moss

LC — Least Concern

Tufted Apple-Moss

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fountain Apple-Moss	Tufted Apple-Moss
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fountain Apple-Moss

Habitat

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

Range

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

Tufted Apple-Moss

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States