Plants small, 0.3–1.0(–2.0) cm high, yellowish green above, brownish below, in loose tufts. Stems short, slender, simple, rarely branched; central strand weak or sometimes well differentiated. Leaves appressed, slightly contorted when dry, spreading when moist, narrowly ovate-lanceolate or ligulate to spathulate; margins plane nearly throughout, sometimes very weakly recurved below, crenulate to irregularly dentate above, broadly acute or apiculate at the apex; costa slender, ending several cells below the apex, in cross section stereid band very weak or absent; upper leaf cells bulging-hexagonal, thin-walled, without papillae; basal cells rectangular, thin-walled. Dioicous. Perichaetia terminal, inner perichaetial leaves slightly differentiated from stem leaves. Setae elongate, reddish brown; capsules erect, ovoid or shortly cylindric; annuli not differentiated; opercula short-conic, sometimes persistent with columella; peristome teeth absent or filiform when present. Calyptrae cucullate or mitrate. Spores small, spherical, smooth or finely papillose.

The genus Chenia consists of three species in the world. One species is known from China.

Lower Taxon

• Chenia leptophylla (C. Müll.) Zand.