Santa Barbara County is home to 130+ species of mosses. Most of these species are found throughout California, many are found across North America, and several are found on other continents. Bear in mind, that all photos and descriptions are of specimens found here in Santa Barbara County, and that sizes in particular may vary considerably from specimens found elsewhere, e.g. plants found in more humid climes may be larger and more luscious, and those in drier habitats may be smaller and less robust.

Click on a thumbnail to navigate to a species page with detailed descriptions and many photos of key characters.

Species with names only will be added in the months to come. For an online key to California mosses, check out the CA Moss eFlora.

Coming soon…

Barbula convoluta

Didymodon bistratosus

Funaria hygrometrica

Microbryum davallianum

Scleropodium cespitans

Scleropodium californica

Scleropodium touretii

Additional Moss Species from Santa Barbara County, coming later…

Amblystegium serpens

Amphidium californicum

Anomobryum julaceum

Atrichum selwynii

Barbula unguiculata

Brachythecium albicans

Brachythecium bolanderi

Brachythecium erythrorrhizon

Brachythecium frigidum

Bryum argenteum

Bryum lanatum

Bryum lisae

Bryum pallescens

Ceratodon purpureus

Ceratodon stenocarpus

Claopodium whippleanum

Conardia compacta

Crumia latifolia

Dicranella howei

Dicranoweisia cirrata

Didymodon australasiae

Didymodon brachyphyllus

Didymodon eckeliae

Didymodon norrisii

Didymodon rigidulus

Didymodon tophaceus

Didymodon vinealis

Ditrichum ambiguum

Encalypta vulgaris

Epipterygium tozeri

Eucladium verticillatum

Fabronia pusilla

Fissidens bryoides

Fissidens crispus

Fissidens curvatus

Fontinalis antipyretica

Funaria microstoma

Funaria muhlenbergii

Gemmabryum barnesii

Gemmabryum brassicoides

Gemmabryum demaretianum

Gemmabryum dichotomum

Gemmabryum kunzei

Gemmabryum valparaisense

Gemmabryum vinosum

Grimmia alpestris

Grimmia lisae

Grimmia montana

Grimmia ovalis

Grimmia pulvinata

Grimmia trichophylla

Grimmia ungeri

Gymnostomum calcareum

Gymnostomum viridulum

Hedwigia detonsa

Hedwigia stellata

Homalothecium arenarium

Homalothecium aureum

Homalothecium nuttallii

Homalothecium pinnatifidum

Hygroamblystegium tenax

Hygroamblystegium varium

Isothecium cristatum

Kindbergia praelonga

Leptobryum pyriforme

Leptodictyum riparium

Micromitrium tenerum

Orthotrichum bolanderi

Orthotrichum franciscanum

Orthotrichum lyellii

Orthotrichum papillosum

Orthotrichum pumilum

Orthotrichum rupestre

Orthotrichum speciosum

Orthotrichum stellatum

Orthotrichum tenellum

Oxyrrhinchium hians

Phascum cuspidatum

Philonotis capillaris

Plagiobryoides renauldii

Pleuridium mexicanum

Pleuridium subulatum

Pohlia cruda

Pohlia wahlenbergii

Polytrichum juniperinum

Pseudobraunia californica

Ptychostomum pseudotriquetrum

Rhytidiadelphus loreus

Rosulabryum canariense

Rosulabryum capillare

Rosulabryum flaccidum

Rosulabryum gemmascens

Rosulabryum torquescens

Schistidium cinclidodonteum

Syntrichia bolanderi

Syntrichia laevipila

Syntrichia montana

Syntrichia norvegica

Syntrichia princeps

Syntrichia ruralis

Tortula brevipes

Tortula guepinii

Tortula inermis

Tortula muralis

Tortula protobryoides