SafePlants

American Dry Rock Moss (Grimmia americana)

Considerations for Pets

• Grows on rocks and other surfaces, potentially accessible to pets depending on the environment.
• Can form dense mats, which might be ingested by some animals.

Considerations for Children

• Grows on rocks and other surfaces, potentially accessible to children depending on the environment.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Grimmia americana E. B. Bartram
• Common Name: American Dry Rock Moss
• Family: Grimmiaceae
• Group: Moss
• Minor Group: Bryophyte
• Major Group: Nonvascular Plant
• Synonyms/Alternative Names: Grimmia dry rock moss, Moxley's dry rock moss (Grimmia moxleyi)

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to North America.
• Also found in PR, Virgin Islands (VI), Navassa Island (NAV), Canada (CAN), Greenland (GL), and Saint Pierre and Michelon (SPM).
• Occurs in TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WY, Mexico, South America, Eurasia, Africa, and Indian Ocean Islands, and Australia.
• Grows on rocks, exposed mineral soil, wood, and hardened riverbank soil.
• Found in dry alpine tundra, including the western US.

Ecological Role

• Colonizes rocks, sometimes on Kaibab Limestone Formations.
• Acts as secondary colonizers, along with other mosses like Grimmia spp., in northern communities.
• Can tolerate dry environments, between a rock and dry place, and has the ability to withstand cellular dehydration during environmental stress.

Morphological Characteristics

• Nonvascular plant that typically grows in dense green clumps or mats.
• Attaches itself to wood, rocks, and hardened riverbank soil, especially during dry seasons.
• Small leaves, fuzzy in appearance.