Barbula arcuata Griff., Calcutta J. Nat. Hist. 2: 491. 1842.
Hydrogonium arcuata (Griff.) Wijk & Marg., Taxon 7: 289. 1958. Protologue: India. Legimus specimina 2–3 fructifera in arenosis “Bogapanee”, [Griffith]
Barbula subulifolia Sull., Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 5: 277. 1861. Tortula subulifolia (Sull.) Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 161. 1869. Protologue: Cuba. Wet rocks along mountain rivulets, [Wright] 32.
Barbula suberythropoda C. Müll., Bull. Herb. Boissier 5: 194. 1897. Protologue: Guatemala. Guatemala, Alta Vera Paz, Pansamalá, in rupibus humentibus, Dec. 1887 cum frutibus supramaturis: Hans v. Türckheim (NY).
Barbula stillicidiorum Card., Rev. Bryol. 37: 126. 1910. Protologue: Mexico. Etat de Vera Cruz: Xico, rochers suintants, en compagnie de Tortula mniifolia (Barnes et Land, 1906).
Plants small to medium-sized, dull, dark-green to yellow-green above, brown below, in tufts, 15–46 mm high. Stems red, erect, not or sparsely branched, hyalodermis absent or weakly present, central strand well-developed;, rhizoids sparse. Axillary hairs five cells long, all cells hyaline. Leaves 1.2–2.0 mm long, triangular-lanceolate, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, ligulate, or lingulate, erect-incurved, twisted and catenulate or erect when dry, erect-spreading when wet; apices acute, broadly acute to obtuse, at times apiculate; lamina unistratose; margins entire throughout, entire below, serrulate above or with 1–3 teeth at apex, variously recurved to near the apex or plane; costa excurrent, percurrent or ending below the apex, guide cells and two stereid bands well-developed, ventral and dorsal surface layer enlarged; upper cells in regular rows, short-rectangular, quadrate or oblate, 4–16 x 5–10 μm, firm-walled, smooth, basal cells short to long-rectangular, firm-walled, smooth, 10–28 x 6–7 μm, alar cells not differentiated. Dense clusters of fusiform, stalked, multicellular propagula occasionally present in leaf axils. Dioicous. Perichaetia and perigonia terminal. Setae 1 per perichaetia, smooth, 10–15 mm long, red. Capsules cylindrical, erect, 1.2–2 mm long, smooth; exothecial cells short-rectangular, thin-walled; stomata in neck; opercula erect, long-rostrate, 1.5 mm long; annuli well-developed; peristome red-orange, well-developed, basal membrane high, teeth spirally twisted, 0.9–1.2 mm long. Spores 8–12 μm, smooth or lightly papillose. Calyptrae smooth, 1.5–2.5 mm long.