Plants small to medium-sized, mostly tufted, green to yellowish brown, rarely with pink to purple tinge. Stems erect. Leaves often dimorphic with vegetative leaves mostly grading into gemmiferous leaves, teniolate or teniolae absent; margins of distal lamina without elongate hyaline cells, mostly thickened and toothed, rarely 1-stratose and entire; costa mostly showing two bands of stereid cells or stereids rarely absent; medial cells of leaves isodiametric [rarely transversely elongate]. Specialized asexual reproduction common, by fusiform-clavate gemmae borne on apices of often modified leaves. Sexual condition dioicous. Seta single. Capsule mostly well-exserted, sometimes more or less immersed, cylindric; peristome absent. Calyptra persistent, enclosing the capsule, with vertical slits distally, spirally plicate when dry.