ciliate fringewort vs Tree Fringewort

Ptilidium ciliare compared with Ptilidium pulcherrimum

Key Differences

• ciliate fringewort is Endangered while Tree Fringewort is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	ciliate fringewort	Tree Fringewort
Kingdom same	Plantae (식물)	Plantae (식물)
Phylum same	Marchantiophyta (우산이끼문)	Marchantiophyta (우산이끼문)
Class same	Jungermanniopsida (망울이끼강)	Jungermanniopsida (망울이끼강)
Order same	Ptilidiales (손꼴가시이끼목)	Ptilidiales (손꼴가시이끼목)
Family same	Ptilidiaceae	Ptilidiaceae
Genus same	Ptilidium	Ptilidium
Species	Ptilidium ciliare	Ptilidium pulcherrimum

Evolutionary Relationship

ciliate fringewort and Tree Fringewort share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Ptilidium.

Conservation Status

ciliate fringewort

EN — Endangered

Tree Fringewort

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	ciliate fringewort	Tree Fringewort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

ciliate fringewort

Habitat

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

Range

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

Tree Fringewort

Habitat

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

Range

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

ciliate fringewort

Ciliate fringewort (Ptilidium ciliare) is a leafy liverwort in the family Ptilidiaceae, found in boreal and montane regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, North America, and parts of northern Asia. It grows as a creeping, irregularly branched mat with leaves divided into deeply fringed lobes edged with long, hair-like cilia—the characteristic feature that gives the species its common name. Ciliate fringewort colonizes a variety of substrates including rock surfaces, boulders, tree trunks, and peaty ground in open to moderately shaded habitats such as heathland, moorland, montane grasslands, and subalpine and subarctic vegetation. It is particularly common on exposed rocks in boreal and tundra zones. The species is classified as Endangered in parts of Europe, where lowland populations have declined severely due to atmospheric nitrogen deposition, afforestation of open heathland, and the loss of traditionally managed heath and moorland habitats. Populations in montane and boreal zones remain more stable. Ciliate fringewort is sensitive to elevated nitrogen levels that promote the competitive dominance of grasses and mosses. Restoration of lowland heathland and reduction of nitrogen pollution are key measures needed to support remaining European populations. The species is better represented in Scandinavian boreal habitats and North American taiga and tundra.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States