Leaves: erect to wide-spreading, some species 3-ranked, ligulate to ovate-lanceolate; margins plane to reflexed basally to recurved throughout; laminal cells irregularly isodiametric to short-rhombic, surface not bulging, smooth, walls firm; basal cells longer than distal cells. North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.
Species 12 (3 in the flora). Meesia occurs on calcareous soil banks and in rich fens in boreal, alpine, and arctic habitats. The quadrate distal laminal cells differentiate Meesia from Amblyodon dealbatus, which has elongate, pellucid laminal cells.