Hedwigia

Autoicous. Asexual propagules absent. Protonema globular, mainly composed of rounded cells. Loose mats or tufts on rocks. Stems creeping, irregularly branched, central strand absent, stoloniferous stems absent. Leaves spirally arranged, erect-spreading to spreading when moist, appressed to widely spreading when dry, monomorphic; costa absent; apex acute, acuminate or subpiliferous, hyaline-white; margins without a border; cells varying across leaf; mid basal laminal cells long-rectangular or linear, with mulitiple papillae in 1 row, yellow to red-orange; laminal cells in mid leaf and apical half subquadrate to rectangular, with 1 to several, usually branched, sometimes simple papillae; apical cells linear-fusiform, less papillose; alar cells not clearly differentiated, quadrate to short-rectangular. Acrocarpous, but appearing as if pleurocarpous. Capsules immersed. Operculum umbonate. Calyptra mitrate, pilose or glabrous (not in Victoria). Peristome absent.