3. Seligeria Bruch & Schimp. in B. S. G., Bryol. Eur. 2: 7 (fasc. 33–36. Mon. 1). 1846.
Plants very small to minute, often less than 3 mm high, light green to dark green or black, gregarious or in compact tufts. Stems erect, simple or forked. Leaves ca. 1 mm long, erect to twisted-spreading when dry, curved when moist, small below, longer and more crowded above, lanceolate to linear or filiform, often long-subulate from a clasping, ovate base; costa single and strong, subpercurrent to excurrent, often filling most of the subula; margins plane, entire or sometimes serrulate; upper cells quadrate to short-rectangular, smooth; basal cells rectangular to rhomboidal or linear; alar cells not differentiated. Autoicous. Perichaetial leaves not differentiated. Setae slender, short to elongate, often less than 4 mm long, straight or flexuous to curved, sometimes cygneous, yellow to yellowish brown; capsules exserted, erect, symmetric, subcylindric to cylindric-ovoid or shortly obovoid, often with a short neck, smooth; opercula rostrate with oblique beak; annuli none; stomata few; peristome (endostomal segments) 16, lanceolate, acute or truncate, inserted below the mouth, smooth, or sometimes teeth reduced or lacking. Calyptrae cucullate, smooth and naked. Spores spherical, brown, smooth or finely papillose.
The genus Seligeria consists of 17 species in the world. Five subgenera can be recognized within the genus (Vitt 1976). Only one species has been known from China.
