Plants small, reddish brown, loosely tufted. Leafy stems simple, 2.3–4.5 mm long, 1.4–1.8 mm wide; axillary hyaline nodules not differentiated; central strand lacking. Leaves in 4–10 pairs, lowest leaves small, loosely arranged, upper leaves much larger and densely arranged, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 0.9–1.5 mm × 0.3–0.4 mm, acute at apex; base of dorsal laminae wedge-shaped; vaginant laminae 1/3–1/2 the leaf length, unequal, usually open halfway to costa; costa strong, ending far below leaf apex, sometimes forked with short branches in the upper parts; margins serrulate to nearly entire; cells of apical and dorsal laminae quadrate, rounded-quadrate to elliptical, 10–18 µm long, evenly thick-walled, smooth to slightly mammillose, each laminal cell often with a nucleus-like hyaline spot inside; cells of upper portions of vaginant laminae similar to those of apical laminae, but larger and longer toward the base near costa. Archegonia usually terminal on stems, rarely in axils of upper leaves. Perichaetial leaves with wider vaginant laminae open to costa. Sporophytes not seen.

Type. China: Guangdong, Feng-kai Co., alt. 670 m, 13 Oct. 1981, L. Sun & J.-L. Zhang 87 (holotype SYS; isotype NICH); Hainan, Jian-feng-ling (Mt.), II 1962, P.-C. Chen et al. 61 (paratypes IBSC, PE, SYS).

Chinese specimens examined: GUANGDONG: see the type information cited above. HAINAN: Bai-sha Co., Redfearn et al. 35808 (MO); Jian-feng-ling (Mt.), WLL 85011 (H, IBSC, PE, SYS). ZHEJIANG: Heng-zhou City, D.-K. Li 0087 (SHM, SYS).

Habitat: on soil; Distribution: China and Japan.

Fissidens guangdongensis is characterized by its flat plants even when dry, the dorsal laminae wedge-shaped at base, costa ending far below leaf apex, the vaginant laminae 1/3– 1/2 the leaf length, and its laminal cells with nucleus-like hyaline spots.

Illustrations: Pl. 80, figs. 12–18.