Usage notes at bottom
TREE TRUNKS
Dicranum montanum C
Dicranum viride C
Orthotrichum obtusifolium C
Orthotrichum ohioense C
Orthotrichum sordidum C
Orthotrichum stellatum C
Ulota coarctata C
Ulota crispula C
Ulota intermedia C
Zygodon conoideus C
Zygodon viridissimus C
Anacamptodon splachnoides C
Anomodon (Haplohymenium) triste C
Anomodon minor C
Anomodon rugelii C
Drummondia prorepens C
Forsstroemia trichomitria C
Homomallium adnatum
Hypnum pallescens
Hypnum cupressiforme var filiforme
Leskea gracilescens C
Leskea obscura C
Leskea polycarpa C
Leskeella nervosa C
Leucodon andrewsianus
Leucodon brachypus
Lindbergia brachyptera C
Neckera pennata
Platygyrium repens
Pylaisia intricata
Pylaisia polyantha
Pylaisia selwynii
Rauiella scita C
Schwetschkeopsis fabronia
Thelia asprella C
Thelia hirtella C
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TREE BASES
Arrhenopterum (Aulacomnium) heterostichum C
Bryum capillare C
Dicranella heteromalla C
Dicranum flagellare C
Dicranum montanum C
Dicranum viride C
Mnium hornum C
Mnium stellare C
Plagiomnium cuspidatum C
Plagiomnium cilare C
Rhodobryum ontariense C
Rosulabryum capillare C
Trichostomum tenuirostre C
Zygodon viridissimus C
Amblystegium serpens C
Anomodon attenuatus C
Anomodon minor C
Anomodon rugelii C
Anomodon (Haplohymenium) triste C
Brachytheciastrum (Brachythecium) velutinum C
Brachythecium campestre C
Brachythecium laetum C
Brachythecium rutabulum C
Brotherella (Pylaisiadelpha) recurvans
Callicladium haldanianum
Campylophyllum (Campylium) hispidulum
Entodon cladorrhizans
Entodon seductrix
Eurhynchiastrum (Eurynchium) pulchellum C
Fissidens taxifolius C
Haplocladium virginianum C
Herzogiella turfacea
Homalia trichomanoides C
Homomallium adnatum
Hygroamblystegium varium C
Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum imponens
Hypnum pallescens
Leskea gracilescens C
Leskea obscura C
Leskea polycarpa C
Leucodon brachypus
Lindbergia brachyptera C
Myrinia pulvinata
Plagiothecium cavifolium C
Plagiothecium laetum C
Platydicya subtilis
Platygyrium repens
Pterigynandrum filiforme
Rauiella scita C
Rhynchostegium serrulatum C
Sanionia uncinata C
Schwetschkeopsis fabronia
Sciuro-hypnum (Brachythecium) populeum C
Sciuro-hypnum (Brachythecium) reflexum C
Thelia asprella C
Thelia hirtella C
Thuidium delicatulum C
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LOGS and STUMPS
Amblystegium serpens C
Aulacomnium androgynum C
Buxbaumia minakatae
Dicranella heteromalla C
Dicranum flagellare C
Dicranum fuscescens C
Dicranum montanum C
Dicranum viride C
Leucobryum glaucum C
Oncophorus wahlenbergii C
Plagiomnium cilare C
Plagiomnium cuspidatum C
Rhodobryum ontariense C
Tetraphis geniculata C
Tetraphis pellucida C
Brachythecium campestre C
Brachythecium laetum C
Brachythecium rutabulum C
Brotherella (Pylaisiadelpha) recurvans
Callicladium haldanianum
Campyliadelphus (Campylium) chrysophyllus C
Campylophyllum (Campylium) hispidulum
Cyrto-hypnum minutulum C
Entodon cladorrhizans
Entodon seductrix
Eurhynchiastrum (Eurynchium) pulchellum C
Haplocladium virginianum C
Heterophyllym affine
Herzogiella turfacea
Hylocomium splendens
Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum curvifolium
Hypnum fauriei
Hypnum imponens
Hypnum pallescens
Plagiothecium laetum C
Ptilium crista-castrensis
Rhynchostegium serrulatum C
Rhytidiadelphus loreus
Sciuro-hypnum (Brachythecium) populeum C
Sciuro-hypnum (Brachythecium) reflexum C
Thuidium alleniorum C
Thuidium delicatulum C
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HUMIC SOIL and FOREST FLOOR (including moist or calcareous)
Arrhenopterum heterostichum C
Atrichum altecristatum C
Atrichum angustatum C
Atrichum crispulum C
Atrichum undulatum C
Barbula convoluta C!
Barbula unguiculata C!
Bryum capillare C
Buxbaumia aphylla
Dicranum fuscescens C
Dicranum majus C
Dicranum ontariense C
Dicranum polysetum C
Dicranum scoparium C
Didymodon fallax C!
Didymodon ferrugineus C!
Didymodon rigidulus C!
Diphysium foliosum C
Leucobryum albidum C
Leucobryum glaucum C
Mnium affine C
Mnium marginatum C!
Mnium spinulosum C
Mnium stellare C!
Mnium thompsonii C!
Orthotrichum anomalum C!
Plagiomnium cilare C
Plagiomnium cuspidatum C
Plagiomnium medium C!
Plagiomnium rostratum C!
Pohlia nutans C
Pohlia proligera C
Polytrichastrum (Polytrichum) longisetum C
Polytrichastrum (Polytrichum) ohioense C
Polytrichastrum (Polytrichum) pallidisetum C
Polytrichum commune C
Rhodobryum ontariense C!
Rosulabryum capillare C
Syntrichia ruralis C!
Abietinella abietina C!
Anomodon viticulosus C!
Brachythecium laetum C
Brachythecium rutabulum C
Brachytheciastrum (Brachythecium) velutinum C
Brotherella (Pylaisiadelpha) recurvans
Bryhnia gramicolor C!
Bryoandersonia illecebra C
Ctenidium molluscum
Cyrto-hypnum minutulum C
Entodon cladorrhizans
Entodon seductrix
Ephemerum crassinervum C
Eurhynchiastrum (Eurynchium) pulchellum C
Fissidens bryoides C!
Fissidens bushii C
Fissidens subbasilaris C!
Fissidens taxifolius C
Haplocladium virginianum C
Heterocladium dimorphum!
Heterophyllum affine
Hygroamblystegium varium C
Hylocomiastrum (Hylocomium) pyrenaicum C
Hylocomiastrum (Hylocomium) umbratum
Hylocomium splendens
Hypnum curvifolium
Hypnum imponens
Oxyrrhynchium hians
Pleurozium schreberi
Ptilium crista-castrensis
Rhytidiadelphus loreus
Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus
Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus
Rhytidium rugosum C!
Sanionia orthothecioides C
Thuidium alleniorum C
Thuidium delicatulum C
Thuidium recognitum C!
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AQUATIC or FREQUENTLY SUBMERGED
Dichelyma capillaceum C
Dichelyma falcatum C
Dicranella schreberiana C
Fontinalis antipyretica
Fontinalis dalecarlica
Fontinalis hypnoides
Fontinalis novae-anglicae
Fontinalis sphagnifolia
Drepanocladus aduncus C
Fissidens fontanus C
Hygroamblystegium varium C
Leptodictyum riparium C
Platylomella lescurii C
Rhynchostegium (Platyhypnidium, Torrentaria) aquaticum C
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WET ROCKS IN OR NEAR STREAMS
Andreaea rothii C
Codriophorus (Racomitrium) acicularis C
Codriophorus (Racomitrium) aduncoides C
Cynodontium tenellum C
Dichodontium pellucidum C
Fontinalis antipyretica
Fontinalis dalecarlica
Fontinalis hypnoides
Fontinalis novae-anglicae
Fontinalis sphagnifolia
Grimmia donniana C
Grimmia olneyi C
Grimmia unicolor C
Hyophila involuta C!
Pohlia cruda C!
Racomitrium affine C
Racomitrium fasiculare C
Racomitrium sudeticum C
Racomitrium venustum C
Rhizomnium punctatum C
Schistidium apocarpum s.lat C
Schistidium rivulare C
Sciuro-hypnum (Brachythecium) plumosum C
Brachythecium rivulare C
Bryhnia novae-anglicae C
Fissidens bryoides C!
Fissidens dubious C
Fissidens osmundioides C
Hygroamblystegium varium C
Hygrohypnum duriusculum
Hygrohypnum eugyrium
Hygrohypnum luridum
Hygrohypnum ochraceum C
Hygrohypnum subeugyrium
Rhynchostegium (Platyhypnidium, Torrentaria) aquaticum C
Platylomella lescurii C
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
Sematophyllum marylandicum
Thamnobryum alleghensiense C
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WETLANDS, STREAMBANKS and WET SOIL (vs damp or moist)
Atrichum crispulum C
Atrichum crispum C
Atrichum oerstedianum C
Aulacomnium androgynum C
Aulacomnium palustre C
Bryum pallens C!
Catoscopium nigritum C!
Cinclidium stygium C!
Dicranum bonjeanii C!
Dicranum undulatum C
Meesia longiseta C!
Meesia triquetra C!
Mnium hornum C
Paludella squarrosa C!
Philonotis fontana C
Philonotis marchica C
Plagiomnium ellipticum C
Pohlia wahlenbergii C
Polytrichum commune C
Polytrichum longisetum C
Polytrichum strictum C
Pseudobryum cinclidioides C
Ptychostomum (Bryum) pseudotriquertrum C
Rhizomnium appalachianum C
Rhizomnium magnifolium C
Brachythecium rivulare C
Bryhnia novae-anglicae C
Calliergon cordifolium C
Calliergon giganteum C!
Straminergon (Calliergon) stramineum C
Calliergonella cuspidata !
Campyliadelphus (Campylium) chrysophyllus C!
Campyliadelphus (Campylium) stellatum!
Cirrophyllum piliferum C
Climacium americanum C
Climacium dendroides C
Cratoneuron filicinum C!
Ctenidium molluscum
Drepanocladus aduncus C
Drepanocladus polygamus
Drepanocladus vernicosus
Eurhynchiastrum (Eurynchium) hians C
Fissidens adianthoides C
Fissidens osmundioides C
Hamatocaulis vernicosus C!
Elodium (Helodium) blandowii C!
Elodium (Helodium) elodioides C
Elodium (Helodium) paludosum C
Herzogiella striatella
Hygroamblystegium varium C
Hypnum lindbergii
Leptodictyum riparium C
Myrinia pulvinata
Plagiothecium latebricola C
Pseuodocalliergon trifarium C
Pseuodocalliergon turgescens C
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
Sanionia uncinata C
Scorpidium cossonii C!
Scorpidium scorpioides!
Scorpidium (Limprichtia) revolvens C
Thuidium recognitum C
Tomentypnum falcifolium C!
Tomentypnum nitens C!
Warnstorfia fluitans C
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SEEPY LEDGES and WET ROCKS
Amphidium lapponicum C!
Amphidium mougeotii C!
Andreaea rothii C
Anomobryum julaceum C!
Arrhenopterum (Aulacomnium) heterostichum C
Atrichum crispum C
Blindia acuta C
Bryum capillare C
Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides C!
Codriophorus (Racomitrium) acicularis C
Codriophorus (Racomitrium) aduncoides C
Dichodontium pellucidum C
Dicranella schreberiana C
Dicranella varia C!
Dicranum undulatum C
Didymodon fallax C!
Didymodon ferrugineus C!
Didymodon rigidulus C!
Distichium capillaceum C!
Encalypta ciliata C!
Encalypta procera C!
Encalypta rhaptocarpa C!
Gymnostomum aeruginosum C
Hymenostylium recurvirostrum C!
Hyophila involuta C!
Meesia uliginosa C!
Mielichhoferia elongata C
Philonotis fontana C
Philonotis marchica C
Philonotis yezoana C
Plagiobryum zieri C
Pohlia cruda C!
Pohlia nutans C
Pohlia wahlenbergii C
Racomitrium affine C
Racomitrium fasiculare C
Racomitrium sudeticum C
Racomitrium venustum C
Rhabdoweisia crispata C
Rhizomnium appalachianum C
Rhizomnium punctatum C
Schistidium apocarpum s.lat C
Timmia megapolitana C!
Brachythecium rivulare C
Bryhnia novae-anglicae C
Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum C!
Campyliadelphus (Campylium) chrysophyllus! C
Fissidens bryoides C!
Fissidens dubious C
Fissidens osmundioides C
Fissidens grandifrons C
Herzogiella striatella
Heterocladium dimorphum!
Hygroamblystegium varium C
Hygrohypnum luridum
Hygrohypnum ochraceum C
Loeskeobryum (Hylocomium) brevirostre
Myurella julacea!
Myurella sibirica!
Palustriella falcata C!
Plagiothecium cavifolium C
Plagiothecium denticulatum C
Plagiothecium laetum C
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
Rhynchostegium (Platyhypnidium, Torrentaria) aquaticum C
Saelania glaucescens C
Sanionia uncinata C
Sanionia orthothecioides C
Sciuro-hypnum (Brachythecium) plumosum C
Sematophyllum demissum
Taxiphyllum deplanatum!
Thamnobryum alleghensiense C
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ROCKS, LEDGES or THIN SOIL OVER ROCKS
Andreaea rothii C
Andreaea rupestris
Atrichum angustatum C
Barbula convoluta C!
Barbula unguiculata C!
Bartramia pomiformis C
Bucklandiella microcarpa C
Dicranodontium denudatum C
Dicranum fulvum C
Dicranum montanum C
Dicranum scoparium C
Ditrichum flexicaule C!
Encalypta ciliata C!
Encalypta procera C!
Encalypta rhaptocarpa C!
Grimmia muehlenbeckii C
Grimmia pilifera C
Hymenostylium recurvirostrum C!
Mnium marginatum C!
Mnium stellare C!
Mnium thompsonii C!
Orthotrichum anomalum C!
Orthotrichum strangulatum C!
Paraleucobryum longifolium C
Philonotis yezoana C
Plagiomnium cilare C
Plagiomnium cuspidatum C
Plagiomnium medium C!
Plagiomnium rostratum C!
Plagiopus oederiana C!
Pohlia proligera C
Polytrichastrum alpinum C
Polytrichum juniperinum C
Polytrichum piliferum C
Ptychomitrium incurvum C
Racomitrium canescens C
Racomitrium langinosum C
Rhodobryum ontariense C!
Schistidium crassithecium C
Schistidium maritimum C
Schistidium rivulare C
Schistostega pennata C
Seligeria campylopoda C
Syntrichia ruralis C!
Tetrodontiaum brownianum C
Timmia megapolitana C!
Trichostomum tenuirostre C
Tortella fragilis C
Tortella humilis C
Tortella inclinata C
Tortella tortuosa C
Tortula ruralis C
Ulota curvifolia C
Ulota hutchinsiae C
Ulota phyllantha C
Abietinella abietina C!
Amblystegium serpens C!
Anomodon attenuatus C!
Anomodon minor C!
Anomodon rostratus C!
Anomodon rugelii C!
Anomodon viticulosus C!
Brotherella (Pylaisiadelpha) recurvans
Bryhnia gramicolor C!
Campylostelium saxicola C
Campyliadelphus (Campylium) chrysophyllus C!
Cyrto-hypnum pygmaeum C
Entodon cladorrhizans
Entodon seductrix
Fissidens subbasilaris C!
Forsstroemia trichomitria C!
Haplocladium virginianum C
Hedwigia ciliata
Homalia trichomanoides C
Homomallium adnatum
Hylocomium splendens
Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum imponens
Hypnum pallescens
Isopterygiopsis muelleriana!
Isothecium myosuroides C
Myurella sibirica!
Platydictya confervoides
Platydictya jungermannioides
Pseudotaxiphyllum distichaceum
Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans
Pterigynandrum filiforme
Ptilium crista-castrensis
Pylaisiadelphia tenuirostris!
Rhynchostegium serrulatum C
Rhytidium rugosum C!
Sanionia orthothecioides C
Sciuro-hypnum (Brachythecium) populeum C
Thelia lescurii
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DISTURBED AREAS and EXPOSED SOIL (mesic-xeric but not wet)
Atrichum altecristatum C
Atrichum angustatum C
Aphanorrehegma serratum C
Bryum argenteum C
Bryum lisae C
Ceratodon purpureus C
Dicranella heteromalla C
Dicranum spurium C
Diphysium foliosum C
Ditrichum flexicaule C!
Ditrichum linare C
Ditrichum pallidum C
Ephemerum crassinervum C
Funaria hygrometrica C
Gemmabryum (Bryum) caespiticium C
Leptobryum pyriforme C
Physcomitrium pyriforme C
Pleuridium subulatum C
Pogonatum pensilvanicum
Pogonatum urnigerum
Pohlia annotina C
Pohlia bulbifera C
Pohlia nutans C
Polytrichum juniperinum C
Polytrichum piliferum C
Ptychostomum creberrimum C
Trematodon ambiguous C
Trichodon cylindricus C
Weissia controversa C
Thelia lescurii
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ALPINE
Arctoa blytii C
Arctoa fulvella C
Conostomum tetragonum C
Cynodontium tenellum C
Dicranum elongatum C
Grimmia donniana C
Meesia longiseta C!
Pogonatum dentatum
Pogonatum urnigerum
Pohlia annotina C
Pohlia nutans C
Polytrichum juniperinum C
Racomitrium canescens C
Racomitrium fasiculare C
Racomitrium langinosum C
Racomitrium microcarpon C
Ulota curvifolia C
Aulacomnium turgidum C
Lescuraea saxicola
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DUNG
Splachnum ampullaceum C
Splachnum pensylvanicum C
Splachnum rubrum C
Tayloria serrata C
Tetraplodon angustatus C
Tetraplodon mnioides C
Usage Notes
This list is meant as a quick aid. It is not comprehensive - some rare mosses are not listed. Species are listed under the habitat in which they are most likley to occur. Species will be found in other habitats. Names are those as recoginized in BFNA. Names in parantheses are common synonyms.
Black color = Pleurocarps - frequently branched, mat formers.
DarkOrange 'apricot' color = Acrocarps - rarely branched, tuft formers.
C = costate
! = "calciophile"
Improvements? Errors? Suggestions? Email Jeff at info@DigitalNaturalist.info.
last update 2025-Jun-13