Plants dull, in tomentose mats usually on trees. Stems creeping, with numerous, erect usually simple branches up to 2 cm high. Branch leaves contorted and often spirally twisted around stem, ± undulate when dry, lanceolate to lingulate, rounded-obtuse and mucronate to gradually narrowed to a linear, fragile subula, lamina sometimes rugose; margins entire or denticulate, plane, or broadly reflexed; costa percurrent or excurrent; distal laminal cells small, rounded-hexagonal, bulging; marginal laminal cells basally elongate-linear, extending distally 1/4 or more of the leaf or sometimes nearly to apex as a border, cells near insertion inflated and yellowish. Sexual condition dioicous and perigonia terminal, or pseudautoicous and dwarf male plants on leaves and tomentum. Seta to 11 mm. Capsule fully exserted; oblong-ovate to cylindric, usually smooth or obscurely plicate when old; stomates superficial; peristome rudimentary, usually consisting of low, multistratose, papillose membrane; operculum ± convex-conic, with long rostrum. Calyptra mitrate, plicate, smooth, naked, covering less that 1/2 of capsule, conic, ± lacerate, or divided into numerous lobes. Spores isomorphic or anisomorphic.

Species ca. 20 (2 species in the flora); pantropical; Mexico, North America, Central America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia.

Lower Taxa

• Groutiella tomentosa (Hornschuch) Wijk & Margadant
• Groutiella tumidula (Mitten) Vitt

Related Synonym(s):

• Macromitrium tomentosum Hornschuch = Groutiella tomentosa (Hornschuch) Wijk & Margadant
• Macromitrium tumidulum Mitten = Groutiella tumidula (Mitten) Vitt