club pincushion moss vs Drummond's pincushion moss

Ulota coarctata compared with Ulota drummondii

Key Differences

• club pincushion moss is Vulnerable while Drummond's pincushion moss is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	club pincushion moss	Drummond's pincushion moss
Kingdom same	Plantae (plantas)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum same	Bryophyta	Bryophyta
Class same	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order same	Orthotrichales (Orthotrichales)	Orthotrichales (Orthotrichales)
Family same	Orthotrichaceae	Orthotrichaceae
Genus same	Ulota	Ulota
Species	Ulota coarctata	Ulota drummondii

Evolutionary Relationship

club pincushion moss and Drummond's pincushion moss share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Ulota.

Conservation Status

club pincushion moss

VU — Vulnerable

Drummond's pincushion moss

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	club pincushion moss	Drummond's pincushion moss
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

club pincushion moss

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 Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Drummond's pincushion moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

club pincushion moss

Ulota coarctata, the club pincushion moss, is an epiphytic moss in the family Orthotrichaceae, growing on the bark of deciduous and occasionally coniferous trees in Europe and North America. The genus Ulota is characterized by strongly crisped and contorted leaves when dry that straighten upon wetting, a hygroscopic response that aids in identifying these mosses in the field. U. coarctata forms small, compact, cushion-like tufts on branches and trunk surfaces, typically on trees with nutrient-rich, rough-barked species such as elder, hazel, and ash. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, reflecting declines associated with atmospheric pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide emissions that historically acidified bark surfaces and eliminated sensitive epiphytic bryophyte and lichen communities across much of western Europe. Since reductions in air pollution since the 1970s, some orthotrichaceous mosses have begun recovering in previously polluted regions. U. coarctata requires relatively clean air conditions and adequate atmospheric moisture, making it a useful bioindicator of air quality. Conservation depends on continued air quality improvement and retention of mature deciduous trees.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden