Hypopterygiaceae

Monoicous or dioicous. Asexual reproduction by gemmae produced on branches, rachis or toward the apex of stems, rarely at stem bases (not in Victoria) or stolons (not in Victoria), or by caducous leaves or branches. Stems arising from a creeping stolon, simple and undifferentiated (not in Victoria) or differentiated into stipe and rachis, prolifically pinnately to 4-pinnately-branched or flabellate, palmate or umbellate in rachis part, usually tomentose at least at base., terete or quadrangular; central strand present or absent. Leaves complanate or not, 3-ranked, or 8- or 11- or more ranked on stipes and rachis base, dimorphic with ventral leaves differing in size and shape from lateral leaves or isomorphic, appressed to wide-spreading when moist, weakly to strongly twisted when dry; costa absent, short and double, forked or simple and short to excurrent; margin entire to serrate, without (not in Victoria) or with a distinct or sometimes faint and interrupted border of more elongated cells; laminal cells short-linear, rectangular or hexagonal, usually porose, thin-walled or incrassate; alar cells not differentiated. Pleurocarpous. Seta directed above, along or below the plane of the gametophyte, mamillose or smooth. Calyptra cucullate or mitrate, glabrous or hairy (not in Victoria). Capsules exserted. Operculum rostrate. Peristome double; exostome of 16 entire teeth; endostome of 16 membranous hyaline processes; cilia absent, rudimentary or present and well formed.