Barbula ellipsithecia C. Müll., Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n. ser. 4: 258. 1897. Type. China: Shaanxi (Schen-si), Lao-y-san, Mar. 1896, P. J. Giraldi 1387 (isotype H). Barbula schensiana C. Müll., Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n. ser. 3: 101. 1896. Type. China: Shaanxi (Schen-si), Iu-kia-pou, Dec. 1894, P. J. Giraldi 868 (isotype H). Barbula schensiana var. tenuissima C. Müll., Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n. ser. 3: 102. 1896. Type. China: Shaanxi (Schen-si), Si-ku-tziu-san, P. J. Giraldi s.n. Barbula subcontorta Broth., Akad. Wiss. Wien Sitzungsber., Math.-Naturwiss. Kl., Abt. 1, 133: 565. 1924. Type. China: Yunnan, Yünnanfu, Handel-Mazzetti 317 (holotype H). Synonymized by Sollman (1983).

Plants small to medium-sized, 10–20 mm high, bright green to yellowish green, in loose or dense tufts. Stems erect, simple, rarely branched, radiculose at the base. Leaves contorted when dry, widely spreading to somewhat squarrose when moist, triangular- to ovate-lanceolate, gradually acuminate, sometimes plicate in the lower half; margins entire, revolute; costa stout, percurrent to shortly excurrent, brown to reddish brown; upper leaf cells irregularly rounded hexagonal, thick-walled, pluripapillose; basal cells slightly longer. Setae slender, reddish; capsules erect, cylindrical; peristome teeth linear-lanceolate, twisted counterclockwise once.

Type. Europe.

Chinese specimens examined: GANSU: Shui-ling Co., S.-Z. Hu 1173 (PE). GUIZHOU: Fan-jing Shan (Mt.), B.-G. Zhong 40059 (PE). HEBEI: Ba-da-ling (Mt.), P.-C. Chen 6001 (PE). JIANGSU: Nan-jing City, P.-C. Chen 71 (PE). LIAONING: Heng-ren Co., T. Cao 340 (HKAS, IFSBH). NEI MONGOL: He-lan Shan (Mt.), Z.-G. Tong 1315 (PE). SHAANXI: Qing-ling (Mt.), Q. Huang 2391 (MO, PE); Zhou-zhi Co., M.-X. Zhang 418 (HKAS, WUG). SHANXI: Ning-wu Co., Z.-R. Wang 4 (PE). SICHUAN: Jiang-bei Co., P.-C. Chen 565 (PE). XINJIANG: He-jing Co., S. He 951228 (MO). XIZANG: Ba-qing Co., K.-Y. Zhao 53d (HKAS); Ban-ge Co., K.-Y. Lang 1247 (HKAS); Ya-dong Co., M. Zang 486 (HKAS); Zhu-mu-lang-ma-feng (Mt. Everest), X.-G. Wang 77 (PE). YUNNAN: Kun-ming City, Handel-Mazzetti 687 (H). ZHEJIANG: Sui-chang Co., Z.-L. Liu 304 (HSNU).

Habitat: on calcareous rocks or on soil in grasslands; Distribution: China, Nepal, India, northern Africa, Russia, Europe, and North America.

Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1996 (Pl. 66, 11–15, as Barbula vinealis).