Plants very small, up to 6 mm high, yellowish green to brown, in loose tufts. Stems simple; central strand absent. Leaves linear-subulate from a linear to narrowly oblong-ovate base, 1.2–1.4 mm × 0.2–0.3 mm; margins entire or serrulate at the apex; costa subpercurrent to percurrent; upper cells linear oblong to irregular, 22–31 µm × 8–11 µm; lower cells linear-rectangular, 26–34 µm × 8–13 µm. Autoicous. Setae ca. 2.8 mm long; capsules cylindric to oblong-pyriform, ca. 2.5 mm × 0.4 mm, neck slender, ½ –¾ of the total capsule length. Calyptrae not seen. Spores warty (as reported by Rushing 1986).

Type. France: Mougeot & Nestler 1822.

Chinese specimens examined: FUJIAN: Wuyi Shan (Mt.), P.-C. Chen 70 (IFSBH).

Habitat: on soil near stream; Distribution: China, Europe, and North America.

Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1994 (Pl. 46, figs. 1–5).