Taxon Report

Didymodon californicus J.A. Jiménez, Toren & Shevock

California beard-moss

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Didymodon californicus, commonly known as California beard-moss, is a moss in the Pottiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1375 to 1645 meters. Didymodon californicus is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Didymodon californicus J.A. Jiménez, Toren & Shevock
Common Name:	California beard-moss
Family:	Pottiaceae
Element Code:	NBMUS2C0N0
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	moss
Blooming Period:
Elevation:	1375-1645 (4510-5395)
General Habitats:	Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Rocky, Streambanks
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	added to 4.2 on 2014-05-14

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


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

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Fresno (FRE), Glenn (GLE), Lake (LAK), Madera (MAD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Crockett Peak (3912247), Felkner Hill (3912256), Mammoth Pool Dam (3711933), Musick Mtn. (3711923)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Potentially threatened by global climate shifts. Similar to D. insulanus and D. vinealis. See Phytotaxa 158(1):105-110 (2014) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Addition on 2014-05-14

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 31 October 2025].