Region: nearly worldwide, apparently in Europe, tropical and warm temperate.
Genera: 4; ± 70 species.
BotanyMoss; medium-sized to large, in mats.
Stems: brownish, primary-stem stoloniform, creeping, secondary stems dendroid, much-branched, branches complanate-foliate, dorsiventral; hyalodermis and sclerodermis not differentiated, central strand strong.
Leaves: dimorphic; dorsal or lateral leaves larger, in 2 rows, somewhat asymmetric, ventral leaves smaller, symmetric; leaves ovate to very short-acuminate, oblong or lingulate; margins entire to dentate, serrulate, occasionally ciliate; costa single, subpercurrent; laminal cells smooth.
Sexual condition autoicous, dioicous or heteroicous.
Seta: elongate, straight or curved, smooth or weakly papillose distally.
Capsule: horizontal, usually inclined, cylindric, subglobose, ovoid; operculum rostrate; peristome teeth 16, double, exostome occasionally absent; exostome cross-striolate, furrowed medially or with zigzag line, trabeculae well developed; endostome cilia well developed or absent.
Calyptra: cucullate or conic-cucullate, mitrate.
Genera: Arbusculohypopterygium, Canalohypopterygium, Catharomnion, Cyathophorum, Dendrocyathophorum, Dendrohypopterygium, Hypopterygium, Lopidium.