Taxon Report

Lewinskya spjutii (D.H. Norris & Vitt) F. Lara, Garilleti & Goffinet

Spjut's bristle moss

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Lewinskya spjutii, commonly known as Spjut's bristle moss, is a moss in the Orthotrichaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland, Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2100 to 2400 meters. Lewinskya spjutii is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Lewinskya spjutii (D.H. Norris & Vitt) F. Lara, Garilleti & Goffinet
Common Name:	Spjut's bristle moss
Family:	Orthotrichaceae
Element Code:	NBMUS56160
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Orthotrichum spjutii

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	moss
Blooming Period:
Elevation:	2100-2400 (6890-7875)
General Habitats:	Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland, Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Granitic, Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.3
Global Rank:	G1G2
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	2
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	2

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Mono (MNO), Tulare (TUL)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Pickel Meadow (3811935), Sonora Pass (3811936), White Dome (3511872)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes



California plants previously identified as O. spjutii are now placed in the genus Lewinskya.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Non-Substantive Name Changes (2023)

Nova Hedwigia 56:259-262 (1993)

Cryptogamie, Bryologie 37(4): 361–382 (2016)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 October 2025].