Plants medium-sized, in dense, tomentose mats. Stems creeping, branches ascending. Leaves appressed to loosely appressed, erect, often spirally twisted around stem when dry, erect-patent when moist, narrowly lanceolate to oblong-ligulate, sometimes rugose; margins entire or sometimes serrulate at apex; apex gradually acute, acuminate, or apiculate; costa percurrent or short-excurrent; basal laminal cells elongate; distal cells irregularly quadrate to rounded-elliptic or rounded-quadrate, 5-9 µm, , usually smooth; marginal cells not distinct from basal. Sexual condition pseudautoicous; perichaetial leaves larger than stem leaves. Seta 2.5-5 mm. Capsule fully exserted, rarely immersed, elliptic to cylindric, usually smooth or slightly plicate, not constricted below mouth when dry; stomata superficial; peristome double; exostome teeth 16, densely papillose-striate; endostome segments 16, sometimes rudimentary. Calyptra mitrate, long-conic to campanulate, basal lobes 4-6, smooth or papillose distally, naked or hairy, not plicate, usually covering capsule. Spores anisosporous, .

Species 100-150 (2 in the flora): North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia; pantropical.

Schlotheimia is distinguished by the distinctive dark reddish coloration, habit in tree canopies and on tree trunks, and 4-6-lobed, campanulate calyptrae. The branches are stout and usually 2-fid; the basal laminal cells are porose; the seta is smooth; the exostome teeth are erect or recurved, well developed, linear-lanceolate, and often blunt; and the endostome segments are shorter than the exostome and pale. The dwarf male plants are found on the leaves of female plants.

Lower Taxa

• Schlotheimia lancifolia E. B. Bartram
• Schlotheimia rugifolia (Hooker) Schwagrichen