Compressed Flapwort vs earth-cup flapwort

Nardia compressa compared with Nardia geoscyphus

Key Differences

• Compressed Flapwort is Least Concern while earth-cup flapwort is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Compressed Flapwort	earth-cup flapwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (bitki)	Plantae (bitki)
Phylum same	Marchantiophyta (Ciğer otları)	Marchantiophyta (Ciğer otları)
Class same	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order same	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)
Family same	Gymnomitriaceae	Gymnomitriaceae
Genus same	Nardia	Nardia
Species	Nardia compressa	Nardia geoscyphus

Evolutionary Relationship

Compressed Flapwort and earth-cup flapwort share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Nardia.

Conservation Status

Compressed Flapwort

LC — Least Concern

earth-cup flapwort

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Compressed Flapwort	earth-cup flapwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Compressed Flapwort

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden.

earth-cup flapwort

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

Compressed Flapwort

<em>Nardia compressa</em>, commonly called the Compressed Flapwort, is a leafy liverwort in the family Jungermanniaceae, a lineage of non-vascular land plants (division Marchantiophyta) that diverged from other embryophytes over 400 million years ago. This small, mat-forming bryophyte typically colonizes moist, acidic substrates along stream banks, seepages, and wet rock faces in cool-temperate habitats throughout Europe. Its flattened, overlapping leaves give the plant a compressed appearance, which inspired both its common and scientific names. Like all liverworts, <em>Nardia compressa</em> lacks true vascular tissue and absorbs water and nutrients directly through its leaf surfaces, deriving energy through photosynthesis rather than heterotrophic feeding. The species has been recorded in Belgium, Norway, and Sweden, suggesting an affinity for the moist, boreal and Atlantic climatic zones of northwestern and northern Europe. It is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating no immediate extinction risk across its known range. Biological traits including individual lifespan, reproductive rates, and specific growth measurements remain poorly documented relative to vascular plant species, though liverworts are generally slow-growing perennial organisms tightly dependent on stable moisture regimes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden