Fragrant Macewort
Mannia fragrans
Fragrant Macewort (Mannia fragrans) is a small, delicate liverwort characterized by its distinctive aromatic compounds that give it a pleasant, sweet fragrance when crushed. This bryophyte forms thin, ribbon-like thalli with a glossy green surface and plays a crucial role in stabilizing soil and providing microhabitat for invertebrates in specialized ecological niches.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Marchantiophyta
Class
Marchantiopsida
Order
Marchantiales
Family
Aytoniaceae
Genus
Mannia
Fragrant Macewort belongs to the family Aytoniaceae, order Marchantiales, within the Marchantiopsida class.
Species Profile
Fragrant Macewort (Mannia fragrans) is a small, delicate liverwort characterized by its distinctive aromatic compounds that give it a pleasant, sweet fragrance when crushed. This bryophyte forms thin, ribbon-like thalli with a glossy green surface and plays a crucial role in stabilizing soil and providing microhabitat for invertebrates in specialized ecological niches.
Fragrant Macewort (Mannia fragrans) is critically endangered due to its extremely limited distribution and highly specialized habitat requirements. The species faces severe threats from habitat destruction, climate change impacts on its moisture-dependent environment, and human disturbance to its fragile bryophyte communities.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Fragrant Macewort grows exclusively on moist, shaded limestone outcrops and cave entrances where consistent humidity and filtered light create optimal conditions. It is typically found in narrow crevices and overhangs where water seepage maintains year-round moisture without direct exposure to rainfall.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Fragrant Macewort (Mannia fragrans) is critically endangered due to its extremely limited distribution and highly specialized habitat requirements. The species faces severe threats from habitat destruction, climate change impacts on its moisture-dependent environment, and human disturbance to its fragile bryophyte communities.
Climate change and altered moisture regimes
Extremely small population size
Habitat loss and degradation
Air pollution and atmospheric changes
Human disturbance and trampling
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | VUVulnerable | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | VUVulnerable | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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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
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Fragrant Macewort (Mannia fragrans). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/fragrant-macewort