Plants slender to robust in dense, usually epiphytic mats. Primary stems creeping. Secondary stems horizontal or erect, irregularly branched; cross section with sclerodermis, firm-walled cortex, central strand present or absent; paraphyllia absent; pseudoparaphyllia present or absent, scale leaves present; rhizoids from circular clusters of initials abaxial to the leaf insertions. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, smooth or plicate, often secund when dry, acute or acuminate, slightly decurrent; margins plane or re-curved at base; costa absent; cells smooth, occasionally mammillose to prorate, sometimes porose, thick-walled, apical and median cells linear to fusiform; basal median cells linear, often porose; alar cells quadrate to oblate. Dioicous. Perichaetial leaves convolute-sheathing. Setae elongate. Capsules immersed, emergent or variously exserted, subglobose, oblong-ellipsoid, or cylindrical, smooth or furrowed when dry; stomata present or absent; opercula rostrate to obliquely rostrate; annuli rudi-mentary, cells clinging to the operculum base and capsule mouth after dehiscence; peristome diplolepideous, properistome at times well developed; exostome teeth narrowly triangular, at times chambered, yellowish white, variously papillose; endostome basal membranes low, pale, lightly pa-pillose, segments and cilia absent, rarely with a high basal membrane and low segments. Spores small and round or large and irregularly oblong, exosporically or endosporically germinated. Calyptrae cu-cullate, smooth, naked.