Barbula leptotheca Schimp. ex Besch., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 7, 17: 336. 1893, hom. illeg.

Plants small, ca. 3–5 mm high, dark green above, reddish brown below, in dense tufts. Stems erect, simple, irregularly branched, radiculose below. Leaves contorted-curved when dry, spreading when moist, oblong-ligulate, or spathulate, broadly acute at apex; margins recurved nearly throughout, entire, bordered by 3–4 rows of papillose, yellowish cells; costa slender, percurrent; upper leaf cells often rounded-quadrate to hexagonal, moderately thick-walled, green, each cell covered by several C-shaped papillae, rarely smooth; basal cells sharply differentiated, rectangular, hyaline, smooth. Autoicous. Setae 8–10 mm long, yellowish above, reddish below; capsules erect, cylindrical, 2–3 mm long, neck distinct, dark brown; peristome teeth short or irregularly linear-lanceolate, twisted, densely papillose, with low basal membrane.

Type. Japan: Yokosaka, Savatier 230.

Chinese specimens examined: FUJIAN: Xia-ming City, D.-K. Li 10864 (HKAS, SHM). GUANGDONG: Le-chang Co., L. Zhang 669 (HKAS). YUNNAN: Kun-ming City, Koponen 37418 (H, HKAS); Zhong-dian Co., X.-J. Li 811611 (HKAS).

Habitat: on forest ground or soil in wet places; Distribution: China and Japan.

Illustrations: Pl. 133, figs. 1–3.