Lizard Crystalwort (Riccia bifurca)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Non-vascular plant (incl. chromists) > liverwort > Liverwort |
| Red List Status: | Endangered (Not Relevant) [EN(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Riccia bifurca |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Hoffm. |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Callaghan, 2023 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | At risk of extinction in England due to small population size |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Clarification of taxonomic status of populations in England is required |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | The species has a restricted distribution and so is unlikely to benefit from untargeted actions |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 1. Taxonomy established |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Relict or natural rarity |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | GB RL criteria: D1. Southern-temperate European species. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Clarify the taxonomic status of populations in England.
Action targets: 1. Taxonomy established
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments: Populations in England appear to be morphologically different from populations on mainland Europe and may comprise a different, undescribed species.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Develop and implement national monitoring plan to ensure comprehensive and up-to-date information is available on range size, population size, occupied sites and threatening factors in England
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: West Lizard SSSI, Kennack to Coverack SSSI, Caerthillian to Kennack SSSI, Goonhilly Downs SSSI
Comments: A species with low recovery potential where the main aim is to maintain/protect populations. Habitat for the species is well managed on The Lizard, including significant habitat restoration.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Undertake research to better understand the habitat requirements of the species, in particular to define favourable grazing regimes
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: West Lizard SSSI, Goonhilly Downs SSSI
Comments: Grazing is a critical aspect of its niche but favourable grazing regimes have not been investigated
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.