Ecology: Open montane to subpáramo and puna, also cerrado in Chiquitano forest in Bolivia; exposed to shaded sites, on soil, rocks, occasionally on logs, tree trunk or rarely branches (e.g., Prosopis). Elevation: (350)2000-3500 m (Venezuela: 2000-2900 m, Colombia: 2000-3500 m, Ecuador: 2400-4200 m, Peru: 350-4400 m, Bolivia: (430)1500-4000 m. Distribution: Southern United States, Mexico, Central America (Guatemala), Hispaniola, Tropical Andes, Europe, Iran and China.
Syntrichia fragilis is characterized by the presence of central strand, spathulate to oblong-lingulate leaves to ca. 3 mm, intact younger leaves and broken and fragmented older leaves, typically broadly acute apices, entire, revolute to midleaf margins, unistratose lamina, and percurrent to short excurrent (as a mucro) costa weakly to strongly papillose on back. Syntrichia lacerifolia is similar to S. fragilis, but the leaves are lacerate, best observed with younger leaves which exhibit deep lacerate (Gallego et al. 2009). Synonyms include Barbula affinis Hampe, B. brunnea Müll. Hal., B. savatieri Besch., B. trianae Müll. Hal., Tortula bipedicellata E. Britton, T. fragillima Herzog, T. ligulata Herzog, T. linguifolia Herzog, T. pichinchensis Taylor, (cf. Cano & Gallego 2008).
Syntrichia fragilis se caracteriza por la presencia de cordón central, hojas espatuladas a oblongo-linguladas hasta ca. 3 mm, hojas jóvenes intactas y hojas maduras quebradizas y fragmentadas, ápice típicamente anchamente agudos, márgenes revoluto a mitad de la hoja, enteros, lámina uniestratificada, y costa percurrente a corto excurrente (como un mucrón) débilmente a marcadamente papilosa en el envés. Syntrichia lacerifolia es similar a S. fragilis, pero las hojas son laceradas, mejor observar las hojas jóvenes que están laceradas intensamente (Gallego et al. 2009). Los sinónimos incluyen Barbula affinis Hampe, B. brunnea Müll. Hal., B. savatieri Besch., B. trianae Müll. Hal., Tortula bipedicellata E. Britton, T. fragillima Herzog, T. ligulata Herzog, T. linguifolia Herzog, T. pichinchensis Taylor, (cf. Cano & Gallego 2008).