Moss names cover around 12,000 species of non-vascular plants found on every continent, including Antarctica. Browse the full list — from common peat plants to rare woodland species.
Crystalwort
Riccia fluitans
silvergreen bryum moss
Bryum argenteum
orange wall lichen
Xanthoria parietina
Many-fruited Thyme-moss
Plagiomnium affine
California asterella
Asterella californica
Creeping Feather Moss
Amblystegium serpens
brachythecium moss
Brachythecium rutabulum
undulate atrichum moss
Atrichum undulatum
aulacomnium moss
Aulacomnium palustre
campylopus moss
Campylopus introflexus
sphagnum
Sphagnum capillifolium
sphagnum
Sphagnum flexuosum
sphagnum
Sphagnum fallax
sphagnum
Sphagnum angustifolium
sphagnum
Sphagnum fuscum
andreaea moss
Andreaea rupestris
atrichum moss
Atrichum angustatum
bryoandersonia moss
Bryoandersonia illecebra
callicladium moss
Callicladium haldanianum
buxbaumia moss
Buxbaumia viridis
calliergonella moss
Calliergonella cuspidata
sphagnum
Sphagnum squarrosum
witch's hair lichen
Alectoria sarmentosa
sphagnum
Sphagnum fimbriatum
sphagnum
Sphagnum subnitens
Orange Rock Hair
Trentepohlia aurea
Tiny button lichen
Amandinea punctata
antitrichia moss
Antitrichia curtipendula
alternateleaf archidium moss
Archidium alternifolium
brachythecium moss
Brachythecium rivulare
brachythecium moss
Brachythecium albicans
sphagnum
Sphagnum teres
cracked lichen
Acarospora socialis
greasewort
Aneura pinguis
anomodon moss
Anomodon viticulosus
aulacomnium moss
Aulacomnium androgynum
barbula moss
Barbula unguiculata
bartramia moss
Bartramia pomiformis
brachythecium moss
Brachythecium salebrosum
velvet feather-moss
Brachytheciastrum velutinum
common green bryum moss
Bryum pseudotriquetrum
buxbaumia moss
Buxbaumia aphylla
calliergon moss
Calliergon cordifolium
star campylium moss
Campylium stellatum
campylopus moss
Campylopus flexuosus
campylopus moss
Campylopus pyriformis
Park Yoke-moss
Zygodon rupestris
abietinella moss
Abietinella abietina
witch's hair lichen
Alectoria ochroleuca
Flat Neckera
Alleniella complanata
Menzies' anacolia moss
Anacolia menziesii
Great Ciliated Lichen
Anaptychia ciliaris
Anaptychia runcinata
Anaptychia runcinata
California antitrichia moss
Antitrichia californica
arctoparmelia lichen
Arctoparmelia centrifuga
arctoparmelia lichen
Arctoparmelia incurva
Arthonia calcarea
Arthonia calcarea
Arthothelium ruanum
Arthothelium ruanum
Palmer's asterella
Asterella palmeri
Asterella drummondii
Asterella drummondii
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Mosses are non-vascular plants. They don’t have true roots, stems, and leaves, so they absorb water and nutrients through their surface. Most species grow just a few centimeters tall; some are barely visible to the naked eye.
They have been on land for about 460 million years — fossil evidence confirms they were among the earliest plants to colonize dry land, long before flowering plants existed.
They can dry out completely and rehydrate when moisture returns. This lets them survive on surfaces like bare granite or exposed rock, just as Andreaea moss does today.
This name is often used for all bryophytes, but three separate divisions:
Common Name | Division | Key Trait | Est. Species |
True | Bryophyta | Leafy stems, complex spore capsule | ~12,000 |
Liverworts | Marchantiophyta | Flat or leafy thallus, oil bodies in cells | ~5,000 |
Hornworts | Anthocerotophyta | Horn-shaped sporophyte | ~150 |
Despite looking similar, these 3 groups are structurally distinct. Crystalwort, a liverwort, floats on still water, field hornwort spreads flat across damp soil, and true mosses form cushions on rock and bark.
These plants retain water far beyond their own weight, stabilizing humidity in forests and sustaining wetland habitats. Their dense carpets also shelter microorganisms, fungi, and invertebrates. Ribbed bog moss is a typical example — its thick cushions keep surrounding soil moist long after rain stops.
Sphagnum moss plays an outsized role in global climate. It builds peatlands by slowing decomposition — dead material that locks carbon away for centuries. Moreover, peatlands cover just 3% of global land area yet hold around 30% of the world's soil carbon.
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