Bryophytes of Nevada On-line
Rare Bryophytes of Conservation Concern in southern Nevada

Anacolia menziesii
A robust species of moss that can occupy large areas on sandstone rock outcrops. In Utah and Nevada, it is found only in deep, remote canyons, where it grows in heavily shaded, north-facing outcrops. Known in Nevada only from the Red Rock National Conservation Area. Otherwise it is a Pacific coastal species. Nevada populations are not reproducing sexually at this time.

Claopodium whippleanum
While common along the Pacific northwest coast, this species is known in Nevada from a single population. This population is in an extremely recessed, cave-like habitat that never receives direct sunlight, in a side canyon on a steep slope under boulders in Red Rock National Conservation Area. It is not reproducing sexually.

Crossidium seriatum
A low desert species normally restricted to sandstone and gypsum soils. This species is extremely small, and difficult to identify in the field. It grows in clumps in exposed soil or in the shadow on the north side of shrubs like Mormon tea. Crossidium is bisexual, but does not normally produce fruit. Globally known from less than ten populations, with perhaps the most numerous populations in Nevada in the region north of Lake Mead. Localities include single populations in the following areas: AZ (Mariposa Co.), Baja California (type locality), CA (San Diego Co.), Spain. Its main region of distribution appears to be southern Nevada, and it is a frequent co-associate of Didymodon nevadensis.

Dicranoweissia crispula
Found in the Spring Mountains on fallen tree logs, in dense green clusters, growing along the cracks in the bark, often fruiting. The southern Nevada populations represent the southernmost known populations of this plant. This species occurs along the Pacific northwest corridor, and is common in the mountains of Utah.

Didymodon nevadensis (the "Gold Butte Moss")
This rare species was discovered by BLM local botanist Gayle Marrs-Smith in 1994, from the vicinity of Gold Butte, Nevada (south of Mesquite). It is confined to gypsum soil formations that occur along the north shore of Lake Mead. Reproductively, this species is interesting in that male plants are unknown to science, so that populations in Nevada are entirely female, and reproduce asexually. This species can be identified in the field by its twisted leaves when seen under a hand magnifying lens, along with the lime green coloration when wet, and tan coloration when dry. Its present distribution includes a scattering of populations across southern Nevada, southern Utah (two unpublished localities collected by Larry St. Clair), and single outposts in British Columbia, New Mexico, and Mexico.

Distichium inclinatum
Present in the Spring Mountains on damp stream banks or rotting logs, seepage areas, and in rock crevices along dripping cliffs. This is a wide-ranging Pacific coastal species, with the southernmost populations known from the Spring Mountains. This species was last verified locally in the mid-1950s.

Entosthodon planoconvexus
Known from four populations globally, one in Utah (Washington Co.), one in Arizona (Pima Co.), one in the northern Egyptian desert, and one in Nye Co., NV (on the Nevada Test Site, near Rock Valley in the Specter Range). Grows intermixed with the undescribed species of Targionia, oddly enough, both in Utah and in Nevada.

Grimmia americana
Known from only three populations world-wide: one in west Texas, one in Arizona, and one from the Newberry Mountains, NV. This species resembles very closely one of the most common species of mosses in the state, Grimmia anodon. Both species occur on limestone rocks exposed to the sun. Sporophytes are deeply immersed, a capsules are peristomate, and the upper leaf is bistratose.

Pseudocrossidium crinitum
This species was originally collected in Nevada in 1955, from the south end of Valley of Fire State Park, on sandstone soil. The population was revisited in 1999 and appears healthy. In addition, recent uncurated collections of this species were made in the Newberry Mountains of southern NV. It forms extensive mats and resembles Didymodon nevadensis in its twisted leaf appearance and coloration. Like D. nevadensis, it is comprised of female-only plants, with males unknown in North America. A rarity in the Mojave Desert, Pseudocrossidium becomes more common in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico and west Texas.

Syntrichia bartramii
A southwestern U.S. endemic species, known from only a single locality in Nevada, but found infrequently in neighboring states. A female-only species that becomes abundant in portions of the Newberry Mountains.

Syntrichia princeps
This species is fairly common along the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. However, in Nevada it is known from a single population in Red Rock National Conservation Area. The habitat is in pinyon-juniper, on soil that is shaded by boulders. S. princeps is a bisexual species, and so is commonly found in fruit.

Syntrichia sp. nov.
There is no information available at this time, other than a distinct possibility exists that a new species in the genus Syntrichia may grow in southern Nevada and southern California. If confirmed, the plants evidently occur on large boulders that are shaded at high elevations in the Virgin Mountains.

Targionia sp. nov.
A liverwort, this species will be described as new to science by Dr. Alan Whittemore of the Missouri Botanical Garden, probably in an upcoming volume of Flora North America. It seems to be a Mojave Desert endemic, is bisexual, and occurs in deeply shaded habitats where ferns are found, at elevations above 4000 ft. Large, healthy populations of Targionia have been found in Red Rock Natural Conservation Area, near White Rock Spring, in the Newberry Mountains near Christmas Tree Pass, and in the Eldorado Mountains near the mouth of Keyhole Canyon. In the field, it looks like green (if wet) or black (if dry) ribbons along the north side of boulders or in deeply recessed cliff overhangs.

Tortula sp. nov.
A putative new species in the genus Tortula has been found in lowlands of southern Nevada. These plants are currently under investigation and have yet to be placed into an existing species.

Trichostomum sweetii
This moss is known globally from seven populations, and is the only moss originally described from the Virgin Mountains (type locality). However, recent attempts to relocate the type population of this species in the Virgin Mountains proved unsuccessful. One large population was located on the ancient sand dune formations at the Red Stone Picnic Area within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Another population was recently found near Zzyzx Road in the Eastern Mojave. The plants occur in sandstone rock crevices sheltered from direct sunlight. Wet or dry, the plants appear green. Distinguishing features of Trichostomum relative to the related genus Weissia include the very slight incurvature (or erect) of the leaf apex in the former, as opposed to the highly incurved leaf margins in Weissia.

This page is part of the
Bryophytes of Nevada On-line
web site, with content contributed by
Dr. Lloyd Stark
Plant Ecologist, Bryologist and Assistant Professor
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
and
James R. Shevock
University of California, Berkeley, and
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
and hosted by the
Nevada Natural Heritage Program
on the
State of Nevada web server