The total lipids extracted from 13 moss species belonging to nine families collected of south-western Siberia were examined for their fatty acids by capillary GC-MS. The total lipids from Sphagnum nemoreum, S. squarrosum and Helodium blandowii yielded 2.25, 3.02 and 3.70% (of total fatty acids) as acetylenic acids, respectively. Some unusual acetylenic acids were found, i.e. 8a,11,14-20:3 and 6a,9,12,15-18:4. High levels of 16:1 fatty acid were found. Very long-chain fatty acids (C24-C26) were determined. The quantities of total, neutral, polar and glycolipids were estimated. Quantitative determination of polar lipid not containing phosphorus as diacylglyceryltrimethylhomoserine (DGTS) as performed; this varied from 13.3 to 38.3% of total polar lipids.