Ecology: Lowland to montane forest; on rocks, soil, soil at base of trees and of termite nest (once collected in exposed site on wooden fence post). Elevation: 35-2400 m (Venezuela: 35-1800 m, Colombia: 180-2400 m, Ecuador: 1000-1200 m, Peru: 90-300 m, Bolivia: 250-1680 m). Distribution: Mexico, Central America, West Indies, and northern South America; also southern Africa.
Fissidens submarginatus is characterized by the broadly oblong to oblong-lanceolate leaves, obtuse-acute apex, crenulate-serrulate leaf margins, serrate and bordered on vaginant laminae, often extending a short distant beyond, subpercurrent to short excurrent costa, unipapillose, rarely bipapillose laminal cells. Synonyms include Fissidens altolimbatus Broth. and F. intermedius Müll. Hal.
Fissidens submarginatus se caracteriza por las hojas anchamente oblongas a oblongo-lanceoladas, ápices obtuso-agudos, márgenes de la hoja crenulate-serruladp, serrado y bordeado en la lámina vaginante, costa subpercurrente a corto excurrente, a menudo extendiéndose una distancia corta más allá, células de la lámina unipapilosas, raras veces bipapilosas.