The links in this first section are available exclusively here but feel free to link, copy or share. Attribution is appreciated.
Checklist of New England Mosses An alphabetical list of mosses extracted from BFNA (Bryophyte Flora of North America). It includes CT, MA, ME, NB, NH, NS, ON, QC, RI and VT. Tundra and arctic species exclusive to QC and ON have been omitted from this list. Please contact me at the address at the page bottom if you would like a CSV extract for your state or province.
Checklist of New England Mosses The same list as above but grouped by Family as designated in BFNA.
Moss Synonyms This is the list of accepted names from the 2 BFNA volumes and the synonyms culled from those volumes. There are a few additional synonyms based on some later research. The names used in the general guidebooks below that differ from BFNA have also been added.
New England Mosses by Habitat This is a list of moss species known from New England grouped by habitats. Acrocarps are in orange (or apricot if you want a mnemonic). Presence of a costa, excluding a microscopic double costa, is indicated by a 'C'. Species that prefer an enriched habitat or are very loosely termed calciophiles, are indicated by a '!'.
Differentiating Leucobryum species.
Perspective Oriented Guide for the Identification of North American Mosses. This outstanding set of documents is available online or as printable MS Word documents. I highly recommend this text only key. I often find it far faster and easier to use than any of the other keys. The taxonomy is a bit out of date but the synomyms are easy enough to deal with.
Key To The Moss Genera of North America pre BFNA key to moss genera. Suitable for use with Crum & Anderson or for those that hate synonyms.
Classification of Extant Moss Genera University of Connecticut website for Goffinet & Buck that lists a widely accepted classification schema to genus.
Flora of North America (floranorthamerica.org) The updated website for the entire flora of North America. May need to click the page header to display the search box on some mobile devices. The moss genus and species descriptions and notes are detailed and thorough. One of my major go tos.
Ohio Moss & Lichen Association (ohiomosslichen.org) An active group with an excellent website. Check out the Moss Photos link.
The Northern Forest Atlas project (northernforestatlas.org) A nice site with incredible photos of mosses. Also many high quality downloadable posters, graphics and lessons. The Mosses of the Northern Forest - a Digital Atlas BP-40 is wonderful but insanely huge - a pdf of nearly a gigabite in size. The link takes you to the download page not the actual pdf. Depending upon your internet speed, the download can take up to 30 minutes. Don't bother trying on a phone or tablet.
American Bryological and Lichenological Society (abls.org) Access to their 2 technical journals and other resources.
British Bryological Society (britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk) Website for the British Bryological Society. They have an excellent guide to their mosses, many of which occur on our side of the pond which makes this site occasionaly helpful. The British have common names for liverworts(!) and while these aren't recognized in the US, I find them helpful for programs I do for the general public.
Bryophyte Ecology by Janice Glime. Free and in progress textbook on the Michigan Tech website. Outstanding comprehensive college level textbook!
Bryophyte Flora of North America Older website for the the eflora of North America with a list of only moss families.
Bryophyte Flora of North America volume 27 - Acrocarps
Bryophyte Flora of North America volume 28 - Pleurocarps
Key to the Moss Genera of North America North of Mexico The most recent key to moss genera for Brypohyte Flora of North America from Vol 28.
Field Guide to Mosses & Liverworts of Minnesota's Calcareous Fens A nice little guide by the Minnnesota Department of Natural resources. The key to 25 species also found in the northeast begins on page 13.
Illinois Bryophytes - A two page poster with some nice photos and basic bryophyte biology from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Most of the species also occur in the northeast.
Learning about Mosses in our Northeastern Woodlots A 9 page guide from the US Forest Service with bryophyte basics and some common species.
The Biodiversity of a New England Woodlot Series: Mosses & Liverworts Similar to the PDF above with descriptions of 17 common Maine species.
Visit to a Miniature Forest A quality publication that describes numerous common and charismatic bryophytes of Connecticut but all are found throughout the northeast.
BBS Field Key Initial keys from Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland: a Field Guide. Since nearly all of the genera and many of the species occur in the northeast, this is an occassionally helpful alternative key.
Macroscopic ID Key to 36 Sphagnum Species This was produced by the Geologic Survey of Canada and mimics McQueen's approach (below). The layout is a bit challenging but the written content is excellent. The species photos are disappointing B&W. The species included are all found in New England.
Bryophytes s.l. Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts Illustrated Glossary 17Mb
Bryophytes s.l. Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts Illustrated Glossary 7mb A glossary of bryological terms photographically illustrated by Leica Chavoutier. Highly recommended. 2 is a smaller file size and lower photo resolution.
Illustrated Glossary to the Field Guides of the Mosses & Liverworts of Minnesota 27Mb
Illustrated Glossary to the Field Guides of the Mosses & Liverworts of Minnesota 11Mb A glossary of bryological terms beautifully illustrated by Joannes Janssens. Highly recommended. 2 is a much smaller file size with lower illustration resolution.
Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts: A Field Guide to Common Bryophytes of the Northeast (2016) by Ralph Pope
Ralph's goal was a moss field guide that was friendly for the novice. Keys are based on Ireland (see below) but have been updated with current nomenclature and with a strong focus on field characteristics. Each species pages includes a 'Similar Species' section that is invaluable. Ralph has also included many helpful ID tables and discussions of families.
Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians (2013) by Karl B McKnight, Joseph R. Rohrer, Kirsten McKnight Ward, Warren J. Perdrizet
This very good guide has lots of excellent photographs and a unique set of keys based on macroscopic traits. A very few species are absent from the northeast. While I love the idea of the keys' structure, I find they do not work very well for me in northern New England. Nevertheless, I find myself often referring to this for the additional photography and similar species sections.
Mosses of the Northern Forest - A Photographic Guide (2020) by Jerry Jenkins
This guide has tons of excellent photographs and more species than either of the two above books. Jenkins takes an ecological approach so species are grouped by habitat, morphology, etc. I find myself browsing through this frequently. His field ID tips are excellent. It's bulkiness and the lack of a key mean I never take it in the field.
Outstanding Mosses & Liverworts of Pennsylvania & Nearby States (2006) by Susan Munch
This has no key but does cover the common charismatic mosses with some ID tips and photos. Species covered all occur in New England.
The Elfin World of Mosses and Liverworts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale (1993) by Janice Glime
Another book with no keys but with good ID tidbits and photos. Species covered nearly all occur in New England.
Common Mosses, Liverworts, and Lichens of Ohio A Visual Guide (2022) by Robert Klips
An outstanding book by an exceptional photographer and bryologist. You can see his work on the OMLA webste. While this says Ohio in the title, the species covered are common in the eastern US. Nearly all occur commonly in Maine, all the liverworts do. At some point, I'll create a list of the species that are NOT found in New England.
Ecological Guide to Mosses of New England (Apr 2023 Cornell Press) by Sue Williams
Forthcoming book by a brilliant field bryologist. I've seen a pre-publication copy and this will defintely be in my field pack as soon as it is available. The book covers several hundred species of mosses and liverworts.
Flora of North America: Volume 27: Bryophytes: Mosses, Part 1 (2007) by Flora of North America Editorial Committee
Flora of North America: Volume 28: Bryophyta, Part 2 (2014) by Flora of North America Editorial Committee
The above 2 volumes are part of a 3-volume set referred to as BFNA - Bryophyte Flora of North America. These two excellent and highly technical volumes have new discussions and diagrams of the mosses. The key is technical and by agreement, all the authors focused on cellular differences rather than macroscopic differences. Nomenclature is updated (and somewhat controversial). An excellent reference for the serious. Approximately $90 per volume but the complete text is available online from a well designed website. Here is the same link as above Flora of North America. Part 3 is the liverworts and appears to be stalled, though the gap between Vol 27 and Vol 28 was seven years...
Maine Mosses: Sphagnaceae-Timmiaceae (2006) by Bruce Allen
Maine Mosses: Drummondiaceae-Polytrichaceae (2014) by Bruce Allen
This excellent technical reference has new discussions and diagrams. Allen has included species that occur in neighboring states so the usefulness of this set extends to all of the northeast. Like BFNA, this key emphasizes microscopic characters but the extensive notes and similar species sections make this a frequent go to for me. Allen's nomenclature can be novel and does not match BFNA. Available from the New York Botanical Garden shop. $72 for the first volume and $119 for the second.
Mosses of Eastern North America (2 Volumes) (1981) by Howard Crum, Lewis Anderson.
Long considered the required reference, this book is becoming outdated as modern genetic techniques constantly revise families and genera. It is still available new from the publisher for a hefty $450. Used ones turn up on Amazon periodically - I paid $120 in 2016. These volumes do not have a key but one was written and is available above.
Moss Flora of the Maritime Provinces (1983) by Robert R. Ireland
Another great out-of-print book - about $100 used. The glossary is exceptional. It has now passed into public domain. You can download a 45Mb copy from this website HERE
Field Guide to the Peat Mosses of Boreal North America (1990) by Cyrus B. McQueen
This paperback field guide uses a unique approach to Sphagnum that often works relying heavily on stem leaf characteristics. Sadly, the author has passed and this book is no longer in print. But if you can find a used copy for a reasonable price it is great for Sphagnum.
Mosses and Other Bryophytes, an Illustrated Glossary, 2nd Ed. (1983) by Bill & Nancy Malcolm
This excellent comprehensive glossary is beautifully illustrated and is available from the California Native Plant Society website (store.cnps.org) for $68. This is more comprehensive than the 2 set of glossary PDFs above. Recommended!
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last update 2024-Mar-11