Brachymenium Schwaegr., Sp. Musc. Frond., Suppl. 2 (1): 131. 1824.
Plants minute, medium or robust, gregarious or in loose tufts. Stems erect, epidermal cells rectangular or rarely quadrate, moderately to densely tomentose; rhizoids red-brown, papillose roughened. Leaves equally foliate or rosulate, erect-appressed, spirally twisted or erect-flexuose, contorted when dry, ovate, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate, elongate-triangular, oval, oblong, oblong-lingulate, obovate, spathulate; margins narrowly reflexed below, plane or narrowly reflexed above, border present or absent, entire, crenulate, serrulate, serrate, or denticulate; costa single, strong, usually excurrent into an apiculus or hair-point, ventral superficial cells at base often quadrate to rectangular; upper cells lax or firm-walled, sometimes porose, hexagonal, rhomboidal, to elongate-rhomboidal, basal cells quadrate or rectangular. Globose asexual gemmae occasional in leaf axils. Dioicous or autoicous. Setae elongate, smooth. Capsules erect to suberect, cylindrical, claviform, obovate-oblong, or globose, constricted at neck; annuli compound and revoluble; opercula conic apiculate or conic and short-obliquely beaked; exostome teeth narrowly triangular or linear, separate or united at base, papillose, endostomial basal membrane high or low, segments well-developed, rudimentary or absent, cilia rudimentary, absent or rarely well- developed. Spores smooth to lightly roughened, 10–80 μm.