Collections of 36 species of predominantly low elevation Mojave Desert bryophytes from the mid-1990s were assessed for shoot and spore viability. Adult shoots of 16 (of 36) and spores of 14 (of 25) desert species were capable of germination or regeneration after 28 years of continuous desiccation (dark storage) under conditions of ∼23°C and 25–45% relative humidity. Most of the species found viable were in the families Pottiaceae and Grimmiaceae, but also included species of Bryum, Funaria and Ptychostomum. Both shoots and spores from the same collection (patch) of 9 species were viable, including Funaria hygrometrica, regarded in other habitats as an annual species. The oldest collection found viable was from shoots of Grimmia anodon, 29 yr 3 mos. Based on the vigor of shoot and spore regeneration/ germination observed in several species, the records presented here for desiccation longevity should be exceeded in the future.