Microglossum rickii is only known from the type specimen, collected in 1931.

Microglossum rickii Imai was described for Sanshi Imai in 1942 (Imai 1942) based on a collection named Geoglossum viride, collected by Johannes Rick in 1931 in Nova Petropolis, Rio Grande do Sul state (Rick 1931). This collection was first recorded in Broteria ser. Bot. XXV 73.

This is a very rare species, having been recorded for only one collection from 1931 since it has been described. Additionally, the region where this species occurs, in Nova Petropolis, Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil is very touristic, has a strong real estate speculation, and belongs to Mixed Ombrophilous Forest, one of the most reduced formations in Atlantic Forest, with about 13% of its original cover. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered under criteria B1 + B2a,b(i,ii,iii) + C2a(i) + D, with an inferred population of 2 mature individuals, and very small AOO and EOO (4 km²).

Currently known only for the type locality. The limited data indicates that the collection is from Nova Petropolis, in Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil, “in graminosis inter arbusta”, suggesting that its habitat is a shrubby-like vegetation.

The species was first recorded in 1931 in Rio Grande do Sul and was never more collected. It is currently not possible to estimate its range or population size.

The scarce information on the label of the collection suggest that this species grows on shrub-like vegetation. As other species of Microglossum, this species grows on moist soil.

The habitat of this species, the Mixed Ombrophilous Forest, was historically deforested, to about 13% of its original size (Ribeiro et al. 2009). The remaining fragments are generally very small and under several kinds of anthropogenic pressures (Vibrans et al. 2011). Additionally, Nova Petropolis belongs to a very touristic region, that is under continued development.

Uncertain

Surveys areas near the type locality and similar localities are needed to identify the populations of this species. There are possible herbarium records of Rick housed at FH that need to be studied.

Not known.

Imai S. 1942. Contributiones ad studia monographica Geoglossacearum. Botanical Magazine, Tokyo 56:523–527.

Rezende, C.L., Scarano, F.R., Assad, E.D., Joly, C.A., Metzger, J.P., Strassburg, B.B.N., Tabarelli, M., Fonseca, G.A., Mittermeier, R. A. (2018) From hotspot to hopespot: An opportunity for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. doi:10.1016/j.pecon.2018.10.002

Ribeiro, M.C., Metzger, J.P., Martensen, A.C., Ponzoni, F.J. and Hirota, M.M. 2009 The Brazilian Atlantic Forest: how much is left, and how is the remaining forest distributed? Implications for conservation. Biol. Conserv. 142, 1141–1153.
Rick, J. 1931. Monographia hellvellinearum riograndensium. Brotéria, série Botânica 15: 72–76.
Tabarelli, M., Aguiar, A. V., Ribeiro, M. C., Metzger, J. P., & Peres, C. A. (2010) Prospects for biodiversity conservation in the Atlantic Forest: Lessons from aging human-modified landscapes. Biological Conservation, 143(10), 2328–2340. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.02.005

Vibrans, A.C., Sevegnani, L. and Uhlmann, A. 2011 Structure of mixed ombrophyllous forests with Araucaria angustifolia (Araucariaceae) under external stress in Southern Brazil. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59, et al, 1371–1387.