VUVulnerable

brun jordtunga

Geoglossum hakelieri

Brun jordtunga (Geoglossum hakelieri) is a distinctive earth tongue fungus characterized by its dark brown to blackish, club-shaped fruiting bodies that emerge from soil in grassland environments. These saprophytic fungi play a crucial ecological role in nutrient cycling by decomposing organic matter in soil and forming associations with grassland plant communities.

01Classification

Taxonomy & Classification

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Ascomycota

Class

Geoglossomycetes

Order

Geoglossales

Family

Geoglossaceae

Genus

Geoglossum

brun jordtunga belongs to the family Geoglossaceae, order Geoglossales, within the Geoglossomycetes class.

02Description

Species Profile

Brun jordtunga (Geoglossum hakelieri) is a distinctive earth tongue fungus characterized by its dark brown to blackish, club-shaped fruiting bodies that emerge from soil in grassland environments. These saprophytic fungi play a crucial ecological role in nutrient cycling by decomposing organic matter in soil and forming associations with grassland plant communities.

Brun jordtunga faces significant threats from habitat degradation and loss of suitable grassland ecosystems due to agricultural intensification and land use changes. The species' specialized ecological requirements and apparent rarity across its range make it particularly vulnerable to environmental pressures and climate-related shifts in habitat conditions.

Key Facts

IUCN StatusVulnerable (VU)
GroupFungi
03Habitat

Habitat & Distribution

This earth tongue fungus occurs in nutrient-poor grasslands, particularly old pastures and semi-natural grassland communities with low soil fertility. It typically grows in short, grazed turf on calcareous or neutral soils in open, unimproved grassland habitats.

TERRESTRIALMajor
04Threats

Threats

Agricultural intensification and grassland conversion

HighOngoing

Habitat fragmentation and degradation

HighOngoing

Climate change affecting soil conditions and moisture regimes

MediumOngoing

Nitrogen deposition and soil chemistry changes

MediumOngoing

Overgrazing and trampling in remaining suitable habitats

MediumOngoing
Community

Community Sightings

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07Sources

Sources & Attribution

How to Cite

IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS

GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org

This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). brun jordtunga (Geoglossum hakelieri). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/brun-jordtunga

Full citation guide & data usage terms