Taxon Report

Buxbaumia viridis (DC.) Moug. & Nestl.

green shield-moss

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Buxbaumia viridis, commonly known as green shield-moss, is a moss in the Buxbaumiaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 975 to 2200 meters. Buxbaumia viridis is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Buxbaumia viridis (DC.) Moug. & Nestl.
Common Name:	green shield-moss
Family:	Buxbaumiaceae
Element Code:	NBMUS1B040
USDA Plants Symbol:	BUVI2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	moss
Blooming Period:
Elevation:	975-2200 (3200-7220)
General Habitats:	Lower montane coniferous forest, Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:	Fallen, decorticated wood or humus

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5?
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12 added to 2.2 on 2011-03-23

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	9
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	2
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	5

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Humboldt (HUM), Modoc (MOD), Plumas (PLU), Trinity (TRI), Yuba (YUB)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
American House (3912161), Board Camp Mtn. (4012366), Davis Creek (4112063), Hayfork Bally (4012362), Mt. Bidwell (4112082), Polar Bear Mtn. (4112385), Strawberry Valley (3912151)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	8
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	56 %
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	3	33%
Foot traffic/trampling	3	33%
Other	3	33%
Logging	2	22%
Mining	1	11%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	11%
Grazing	1	11%
Erosion/runoff	1	11%

Notes



Threatened by trampling, logging, and hydrological alterations; potentially threatened by gold mining; and possibly threatened by recreational activities. Similar to B. aphylla.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Addition to CRPR 2.2, G3G4 / S2 (2011)

Buxbaumia viridis account for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2021)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 24 October 2025].