Tortula leucostoma (R. Brown) Hook. & Grev., Edinburgh J. Sci. 1: 294. 1824. Desmatodon suberectus (Hook.) Limpr., Laubm. Deutschl. 1: 651. 1888. Tortula suberectus Hook. in Drum., Musci Amer., Brit. N. Amer. 145. 1828.

Plants small, 6–10 mm high, dark green to reddish brown, in loose or dense tufts. Stems erect, simple, radiculose at the base. Leaves contorted when dry, spreading when moist, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–2.8 mm x 0.7–0.8 mm, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex; margins entire, involute in the lower 1/2–2/3, border differentiated, sometimes indistinct; costa stout, shortly excurrent to ending in a short awn; upper cells quadrate to hexagonal, thin-walled, with circular or C-shaped papillae; basal cells rectangular, smooth, hyaline. Setae erect, 1.2–2.0 cm long, yellowish brown; capsules ovoid-cylindric to cylindric; peristome teeth short, linear, twisted counterclockwise once, basal membrane low. Spores spherical, ca. 18 µm, yellowish brown, papillose.

Type. Europe.

Chinese specimens examined: JILIN: An-tu Co., C. Gao s.n. (IFSBH). NEI MONGOL: He-lan Shan (Mt.), Z.-G. Tong 1345 (PE). SHAANXI: Hu Co., M. Wang 454 (HKAS). XINJIANG: Zhao-su Co., Xinjiang Biol. Inst. 47265 (HKAS). XIZANG: La-sha City, J.-C. Wei 13 (HKAS); Lei-wu-qi, M. Zang 5318 (HKAS); Ri-ge-ze, J.-W. Zhang M7515 (HKAS).

Habitat: on rocks and soil, or on tree trunks; Distribution: China, Russia, central Asia, Europe, and North America.

Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1996 (Pl. 81, figs. 11–14, as Desmatodon suberectus).