Spotty Featherwort
Plagiochila punctata
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: (c) petit_bonnier, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Marchantiophyta
Class
Jungermanniopsida
Order
Jungermanniales
Family
Plagiochilaceae
Genus
Plagiochila
Spotty 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.
Spotty Featherwort faces severe threats from habitat destruction 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 moist conditions 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
Spotty Featherwort typically inhabits moist, shaded environments including humid forest floors, rotting logs, and rock surfaces in temperate and subtropical regions. The species requires consistently high humidity levels and is often found in old-growth forests with stable microclimatic conditions.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Spotty Featherwort faces severe threats from habitat destruction 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 moist conditions essential for this bryophyte's survival. The species' restricted distribution and specialized habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.
Agricultural expansion and land conversion
Climate change affecting moisture regimes
Habitat loss from deforestation
Air pollution and atmospheric changes
Urban development and infrastructure
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
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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). Spotty Featherwort (Plagiochila punctata). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/spotty-featherwort