Reichlingia zwackhii
Local name: gotländsk pricklav
Reichlingia zwackhii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. It is found in temperate woodland habitats across parts of Europe.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Arthoniomycetes
Order
Arthoniales
Family
Arthoniaceae
Genus
Reichlingia
Reichlingia zwackhii belongs to the family Arthoniaceae, order Arthoniales, within the Arthoniomycetes class.
Species Profile
Reichlingia zwackhii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. It is found in temperate woodland habitats across parts of Europe. It typically grows on the moist bark of mature beech, ash, and oak trees in ancient forests, often appearing as a parasite or semi-parasite on other lichens, although it can occasionally live independently. The lichen is rare but widespread in southern and southwestern England, with very limited occurrences reported in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Described scientifically in 1903, it was transferred to its current genus, Reichlingia, in 2013.
Reichlingia zwackhii, the Gotland spiny lichen, is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized limestone environments. The species has extremely limited distribution and small population size, making it highly vulnerable to environmental changes and human disturbances in its restricted coastal habitats on Gotland, Sweden.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Reichlingia zwackhii grows primarily on moist, mesic bark of mature trees such as beech (Fagus), ash (Fraxinus), and oak (Quercus) within ancient woodland environments. It commonly colonises and visibly invades the thalli (lichen bodies) of the species Phlyctis argena, and more rarely, Phlyctis agelaea, from which it occasionally acquires patchy deposits of norstictic acid. Although typically...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Reichlingia zwackhii, the Gotland spiny lichen, is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized limestone environments. The species has extremely limited distribution and small population size, making it highly vulnerable to environmental changes and human disturbances in its restricted coastal habitats on Gotland, Sweden.
Extremely small population size
Habitat loss and degradation
Limited geographic range
Climate change impacts on specialized habitat
Coastal development and human disturbance
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
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Reichlingia zwackhii (Reichlingia zwackhii). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/gotlandsk-pricklav