Prickly Featherwort
Plagiochila spinulosa
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Marchantiophyta
Class
Jungermanniopsida
Order
Jungermanniales
Family
Plagiochilaceae
Genus
Plagiochila
Prickly Featherwort belongs to the family Plagiochilaceae, order Jungermanniales, within the Jungermanniopsida class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Prickly Featherwort faces severe threats from habitat destruction and fragmentation due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development across its limited range. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns and temperature shifts that affect the humid microenvironments essential for this bryophyte's survival. The species' restricted distribution and specialized habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This liverwort species inhabits humid, shaded environments in temperate and subtropical forests, typically growing on tree bark, rotting logs, and moist rock surfaces. It requires consistently high humidity levels and is found in old-growth forest understories and along stream corridors where moisture levels remain stable.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Prickly Featherwort faces severe threats from habitat destruction and fragmentation due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development across its limited range. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns and temperature shifts that affect the humid microenvironments essential for this bryophyte's survival. The species' restricted distribution and specialized habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.
Agricultural expansion
Climate change and altered precipitation
Deforestation and logging
Urban development and infrastructure
Habitat fragmentation
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 | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | 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
Report a sightingNo community sightings yet. Be the first to report!
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). Prickly Featherwort (Plagiochila spinulosa). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/prickly-featherwort