Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians - (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A comprehensive guide to the mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians

This is the first book to help general readers recognize 200 common mosses of the Northeast and the Appalachian Mountains. With just this field guide, a hand lens, and a spray bottle--no microscopes necessary--readers will be able to identify and name many of the common species of mosses growing in the region's backyards, parks, forests, wetlands, and mountains. At the heart of this guide is an innovative, color-tabbed system that helps readers pick out small groups of similar species. Illustrated identification keys, colorful habitat and leaf photos, more than 600 detailed line drawings, and written descriptions help differentiate the species. This accessible book allows all nature enthusiasts to make accurate identifications and gain access to the enchanting world of mosses.

• 200 species included


• More than 600 detailed line drawings


• More than 400 color photographs


• Innovative color-tabbed system for species identification


• Illustrated species identification keys


• Helpful tips for moss collecting

From the Back Cover

"Full of clear diagrams, excellent photos, and evocative descriptions, this splendid guide shows readers what mosses are and how to study them. Vegetative and reproductive characteristics are presented so that different species can be readily compared, feature by feature. This remarkable, delightful book makes a great contribution to the understanding and appreciation of moss diversity, and to the conservation of mosses."--Susan Moyle Studlar, West Virginia University

"This attractive and inviting guide will serve an important function in promoting the study of common mosses by nonspecialists. The interesting combination of drawings, field pictures, and dissecting microscope shots is effective, and the authors offer accurate, relevant, and scientifically solid information. A great addition to the botanical and natural history literature."--Jon Shaw, Duke University

Review Quotes

"I have no doubt that this guide will become a trusted field companion for outdoor educators and amateur naturalists, who may be new to moss identification, as well as to botanists interested in refreshing their moss identification skills. Common Mosses fills a long-standing void in moss field guides for the region, and, as such, this guide will make the identification of these small plants more accessible to a wider botanical audience."---J. M. Budke, Plant Science Bulletin

"Since this is the first moss field guide for the eastern states covering most common species, it fills a need for those interested in these plants."-- "Choice"

"This guide is an excellent field manual that should enhance the appreciation of a group that has been largely overlooked by many naturalists. If you have never stopped on a hiking trail to closely examine a bank of mosses on a rotting log or on a boulder along a mountain stream, you should. By examining the delicate structures of these tiny plants and by comprehending their immense diversity here in the Appalachians, you will greatly expand your awareness of the natural world."---Gary Walker, Appalachian Journal

"This is a perfect book for the incipient bryologist of the temperate region, and is a pleasure to leaf through for the more experienced one. . . . I have seen quite a number of field guides to bryophytes that are intended for beginners or people who have a general interest in nature, and this book is one of the very best. Without compromises regarding scientific accuracy or illustration quality it introduces the relatively difficult mosses in a superb way."---Lars Hedenas, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

"With a 10X loupe and this book, an entire new world can be opened to even a seasoned naturalist."---DRK, Wildlife Activist

About the Author

Karl B McKnight is associate professor of biology at St. Lawrence University. Joseph R. Rohrer is professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Kirsten McKnight Ward is a third-generation botanist/field guide author and professional artist. Warren J. Perdrizet is a recent graduate of St. Lawrence University with a BS in biology.