Plants small, medium-sized, or large, in mats or pendent. Primary stems creeping, irregularly
branched, rhizoids not or weakly branched, from circular cluster of initials at abaxial side of leaf insertions,
sometimes extending onto base of costae. Secondary stems horizontal, erect or pendent, irregularly
or pinnately branched; cross section with sclerodermis, enlarged cortical cells, central strand
absent; paraphyllia absent; pseudoparaphyllia foliose or filamentous, at times with scale leaves.
Leaves ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, acute or acuminate, decurrent; margins plane or revolute,
entire, serrulate, or denticulate above; costae single, strong, occasionally spurred above, in cross
section guide cells and stereid cells absent, of rounded, thick-walled, homogenous cells; cells smooth
or prorate, thick-walled, oval, elliptic, rhombic, fusiform, elongate, or linear; basal cells near costa at
base linear; alar cells rounded to subquadrate. Autoicous. Perigonia gemmate, lateral; perichaetia at
the ends of short or long branches and at the ends of stems (Schoenobryum). Setae short, cells
quadrate. Capsules immersed, ellipsoid, ovoid to oblong-ovoid, usually abruptly rounded-indented to
the setae; stomata apparently absent or at capsule/seta junction; opercula conic, conic-mammillate,
conic-apiculate, or short rostrate; annuli compound; peristome diplolepideous; exostome teeth narrowly
triangular to linear; endostome when present with segments linear, cilia rudimentary or absent,
basal membranes very low or absent. Spores spherical or irregularly oblong, at times massive. Spore
germination exosporic or endosporic. Calyptrae mitrate or conic, smooth or prorate.