Plants somewhat small medium sized or rather robust, forming loose to dense tufts or mats, often glossy, light to dark green, yellow or golden-brown. Stems erect or ascending to spreading, irregularly to regularly pinnately short branched; in cross-section outer cells small and thick-walled or epidermal cells enlarged, forming a hyalodermis, central strand present, usually weak, rarely absent; paraphyllia absent; pseudoparaphyllia foliose. Leaves terete foliate to complanate, monomorphic to dimorphic(lateral leaves broad and large, ventral or median leaves small and narrow), subjulaceous to falcate-secund or spreading, broadly ovate to ovate-oblong or narrowly to broadly ovate-lanceolate, plane to deeply concave, apex obtuse to acute-rounded or acuminate, base straight to auriculate; margins plane to slightly recurved below, rarely incurved above, entire to distally serrulate to serrate or bluntly dentate; costae absent or short and double; laminal cells smooth, median cells linear to fusiform, rhomboidal or hexagonal; basal cell walls plane or porose; alar region not or weak to strongly differentiated, rarely ± excavate, cells oval to oblong or quadrate to short rectangular, concolerous or yellow or golden brown. Autoicous or dioicous. Perichaetia lateral; leaves differentiated, ovate-oblong and abruptly long acuminate to subulate. Seta elongate, erect to somewhat flexuous, slender, smooth. Capsule inclined to pendulous and usually asymmetric, or erect and symmetric, urn ovoid to obloid-cylindrical; exothecial cells not or weakly collenchymatous; stomata few at urn base, superficial; annuli present; opercula conic-apiculate to conic-short rostrate; peristome double, exostome teeth 16, smooth or cross-striate below and distally papillose, bordered and trabeculate, endostome well developed to modified and reduced, basal membrane low to high, segments 16, keeled and often perforate, cilia 1-4. Calyptra cucullate, smooth and naked. Spores lightly to densely papillose.

Plantas medianas algo pequeñas o bastante robustas, formando manojos o matas laxas a densas, frecuentemente brillantes, verdes claras a oscuras, amarillas o marrón-doradas. Tallos erectos o ascendentes a patentes, ramificaciones cortas irregularmente a regularmente pinnadas; en corte transversal células externas pequeñas y paredes celulares gruesas o células epidérmicas agrandadas, formando una hialodermis, cordón central presente, generalmente débil, rara vez ausente; parafilos ausentes; pseudoparafilos foliosos. Hojas teretes a complanadas, monomorfas a dimorfas (hojas laterales anchas y grandes, hojas ventrales o medias pequeñas y angostas), subjuláceas a falcado-secundas o patentes, anchamente ovadas a ovado-oblongas o angostamente a anchamente ovado-lanceoladas, planas a profundamente cóncavas, ápices obtusos a agudo-redondeados o acuminados, bases rectas a auriculadas; márgenes planos a escasamente recurvados abajo, raras veces incurvados arriba, enteros a distalmente serrulados a serrados u obtusamente dentados; costa ausente o corta y doble; células de la lámina lisas, células medias lineares a fusiformes, romboidales o hexagonales; células basales con paredes planas o porosas; región alar no o débil a marcadamente diferenciada, rara vez ± excavada, células ovales a oblongas o cuadradas a cortas rectangulares, concoloras, amarillas o marrones doradas. Autoica o dioica. Periquecio lateral; hojas diferenciadas, ovado-oblongas y abruptamente largas acuminadas a subuladas. Seta alargada, erecta a algo flexuosa, delgada y lisa. Cápsula inclinada a péndula y generalmente asimétrica, o erecta y simétrica, urna ovoide a obloide-cilíndrica; células exoteciales no o débilmente colenquimatosas; pocos estomas en la base de la urna, superficiales; anillo presente; opérculo cónico-apiculado a corto-cónico rostrado; peristoma doble, exostoma con 16 dientes, lisos o con estrías cruzadas hacia la base y distalmente papilosos, bordeados y trabeculados, endostoma bien desarrollado a modificado y reducido, membrana basal baja a alta, 16 segmentos, carinados y frecuentemente perforados, 1-4 cilios. Caliptra cuculada, lisa y desnuda. Esporas ligeramente a densamente papilosas.

1. Leaves generally dimorphic, lateral leaves broad and large, ventral or median leaves small and narrow; laminal cells large, fusiform, rhomboidal to hexagonal, lax and thin-walled … Vesicularia

1. Leaves monomorphic; laminal cells mostly linear, walls firm and often thick … 2.

2. Leaves ovate to ovate-oblong; apex obtuse; alar cells enlarged, oval to oblong; stem hyalodermis present … Calliergonella

2. Leaves ovate lanceolate; apex acuminate; alar cells quadrate to short rectangular; stem hyalodermis absent … 3.

3. Alar cells distinct, (4)5-15 cells along leaf margin, mostly quadrate, small and thick-walled … Pylaisia

3. Alar cells indistinct, 2-4 cells along leaf margin, quadrate to short rectangular, firm-walled … Ectropothecium

1. Hojas generalmente dimorfas, hojas laterales anchas y grandes, hojas ventrales o medias pequeñas y angostas; células de la lámina grandes, fusiformes, romboidales a hexagonales, laxas y con paredes delgadas … Vesicularia

1. Hojas monomorfas; células de la lámina generalmente lineares, con paredes firmes y frecuentemente gruesas … 2.

2. Hojas ovadas a ovado-oblongas; ápices obtusos; células alares agrandadas, ovales a oblongas; tallos con hialodermis … Calliergonella

2. Hojas ovadas lanceoladas; ápices acuminados; células alares cuadradas a cortas rectangulares; tallos sin hialodermis … 3.

3. Células alares conspicuas, (4)5-15 células a lo largo del margen de la hoja, generalmente cuadradas, pequeñas y con paredes gruesas … Pylaisia

3. Células alares indistintas, 2-4 células a lo largo del margen de la hoja, cuadradas a cortas rectangulares, con paredes firmes … Ectropothecium