Plants dull or shiny, light to dark green. Leaves ± monomorphic, spirally arranged, appressed or spreading and complanate when dry, spreading and often complanate when wet, bilaterally symmetric to asymmetric, ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, rounded to obtuse, or acute, acuminate to subulate; laminal cells smooth or pluripapillose, distal cells rhombic to hexagonal, proximal cells oblate-oblong in several marginal rows. Perichaetial leaves enlarged or not, sheathing. Seta short, usually straight. Capsule immersed to shortly exserted, stomata few; annulus none to broad and persistent; peristome absent (or present); operculum usually rostrate. Calyptra mitrate, lobed at base, ± plicate.

Species 17-24 (2 in the flora): North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Africa, Australia.