Plants medium-sized to fairly large, up to 4(–8) cm high, grayish green to yellowish green, shiny, sometimes soft, gregarious or in dense tufts. Stems erect, simple or branched, with few rhizoids at base; central strand present. Leaves 2–8 mm long, erect or appressed when dry, erect-patent to slightly secund, rarely falcate when moist, lanceolate, gradually narrowed from a somewhat broader base to a subtubulose apex; margins plane or slightly incurved, entire below, faintly serrulate near the apex; costa very broad, occupying ¾ – 4/5 the leaf base width, long-excurrent, not hyaline at the tips, in transverse section, stereid cells absent, consisting of 1 row of large, hyaline cells on the ventral surface, 3–4 layers of uniform, somewhat thick-walled green cells on the dorsal surface, the outermost dorsal green cells not interspread with hyaline cells, forming almost a homologized, very roughened row of low ribs; upper cells rectangular, thick-walled; lower cells short-linear, hyaline, rather thin-walled, ca. 30 µm × 8 µm, becoming narrower near the margins, forming a border of 5–7 rows of linear cells at the margins; alar cells inflated, forming hyaline or reddish brown auricles. Dioicous. Sporophytes not seen.

Type. Austria: Schwarz s.n.

Chinese specimens examined: GUANGDONG: Dinghu Shan (Mt.), P.-J. Lin 33 (IBSC, MO). GUANGXI: Tian-lin Co., C. Gao et al. 2055 (IFSBH); Xing-an Co., C. Gao & G.-C. Zhang 1632 (IFSBH). HAINAN: Ling-shui Co., C. Gao 2722 (IFSBH). JIANGXI: Lu Shan (Mt.), Wuhan Normal College 33015 (IFSBH). SICHUAN: Omei Shan (Mt.), C. Gao et al. 23224 (IFSBH); Mu-li Co., C. Gao et al. 20369 (IFSBH); Ruo-er Gai Co., S. He 30765a (MO); Ya-an Co., Q. Li 957 (IFSBH). XIZANG: Lang Co., M. Zang 1872 (KUN); Mo-tuo Co., Y.-G. Su 4882 (KUN); Ya-dong Co., M. Zang 520 (KUN). YUNNAN: Da-li Co., Z.-F. Fang & S.-D. Zhao 26149 (IFSBH); Gong-shan Co., M.-Z. Wang 9350a (PE); Li-jiang Co., W.-X. Xu 290 (YUKU); Lu-quan Co., W.-M. Zhu 64070 (YUKU).

Habitat: on soil or rocks, rarely on rotten logs; Distribution: China, Nepal, India, Japan, Europe, and North America.

In cross section of leaves Campylopus schwarzii does not have stereid cells, but it has similar green cells as in other species of Paraleucobryum. The present species is similar to Paraleucobryum longifolium, but it differs in the costa cross sections with dorsal green cells that do not interspread with hyaline cells.

Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1994 (Pl. 63, figs. 1–12).