Lembophyllaceae

Dioicous. Asexual reproduction rarely by caducous flagelliform branchlets (not in Victoria). Mats, wefts or pendents on trees, logs, rocks or soil. Stems differentiated into creeping primary stems and erect, ascending or pendent secondary stems, with rhizoids restricted to base, tufts where in contact with substrate, or tips of branches; secondary stems irregularly pinnate to regularly 2- or 3-pinnate, often with a basal unbranched stipe section and a more apical branched frond section, often with microphyllous, flagelliform branches; paraphyllia absent; pseudoparaphyllia present and foliose, or rarely absent (not in Victoria); central strand present or absent. Leaves arranged around the stem and facing all directions or complanate, often those of stems and branches differentiated or leaves monomorphic, appressed to wide-spreading or homomallous when moist, scarcely altered or becoming more appressed when dry, usually ovate, usually concave, often strongly so, often decurrent; apex round, obtuse, apiculate, acute or acuminate; costa single and extending to apical half or leaf or terminating in basal half, double and short to extending to near midleaf, or absent; margin entire, serrulate or serrate (not in Victoria), plane, incurved or revolute, without a border; laminal cells linear, rhombic, oblong, or elliptic, smooth (not in Victoria), prorate or pitted; alar cells usually well differentiated and quadrate to rectangular. Pleurocarpous. Capsule erect to horizontal, symmetric or curved, exserted, operculate, with a well- or weakly differentiated annulus. Calyptra cucullate, smooth or slightly roughened (not in Victoria), glabrous or hairy. Operculum conic to short-rostrate. Peristome double and alternate; exostome of 16 entire teeth, with or without (not in Victoria) a distinct shoulder; endostome of 16 segments arising from a low or high basal membrane; cilia present, rarely absent.