Plants small to medium-sized, 5–20 mm high, yellowish green to yellowish brown, in loose, shiny tufts. Stems erect, simple or branched. Leaves ovate, sheathing at base, suddenly contracted to a long subula; costa strong, filling most of the subula, excurrent, in transverse section with a median row of guide cells, several rows of stereids dorsally and ventrally; shoulder cells rhomboidal to rectangular; alar cells not differentiated. Dioicous. Setae flexuose, curved when dry, yellowish green to brownish, shiny; capsules ovoid to cylindric, horizontal to inclined; stomata absent; opercula obliquely long rostrate, nearly as long as capsules; annuli present, consisting of 1 row of small cells or not well developed; peristome teeth 16, reddish brown, divided about halfway down, striate below, hyaline and finely papillose above. Calyptrae small, cucullate, entire at the base. Spores warty or coarsely papillose.

Microcampylopus is very close to Campylopodium, and the two genera cannot be easily separated by gametophytic features. The main differences between them are in sporophytes. Microcampylopus has warty spores, and its capsules do not have stomata in the neck, while Campylopodium has smooth or only finely papillose spores, and its capsules have stomata in the neck. Three species are currently placed in Microcampylopus (Giese & Frahm 1986a) from the world. Two species are known from China.

Lower Taxa

• Microcampylopus khasianus (Griff.) Giese & J.-P. Frahm
• Microcampylopus laevigatus (Thér,) Giese & J.-P. Frahm