Barbula fragilis (Tayl.) C. Müll., Syn. Musc. Frond. 1: 634. 1849. Syntrichia schmidii (C. Müll.) Mitt., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot., Suppl. 1: 39. 1859. Tortula schmidii (C. Müll.) Broth., Nat. Pflanzenfam. I(3): 434. 1902. Barbula schmidii C. Müll., Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 11: 58. 1853.

Plants small, but rather thick, to 1.2 cm high, dark green to reddish brown, in loose tufts. Stems erect, simple, radiculose at base; central strand present. Leaves contorted-curved when dry, spreading when moist, oblong-ligulate to spathulate, rounded-obtuse to abruptly acute or mucronate at apex; margins often recurved, crenulate by projecting papillae; costa stout or rather slender, percurrent, often reddish brown, smooth on the dorsal surface; upper leaf cells subquadrate to rounded-hexagonal, green, each cell densely covered with several C-shaped papillae; basal cells distinctly differentiated, rectangular, thin-walled, hyaline, smooth. Autoicous. Setae elongate, 4–6 mm long, yellowish brown; capsules erect or slightly inclined, cylindrical; peristome teeth 32, linear or filiform, twisted, papillose; basal membrane high.

Type. Europe.

Chinese specimens examined: GUIZHOU: Shui-cheng Co., D.-K. Li 2971 (HKAS, SHM). SICHUAN: Nan-ping Co., S.-Y. Zeng 2541 (HKAS). XIZANG: Lang Co., M. Zang 1727, 1845 (HKAS); Long-zhi Co., Zhun-ba, M. Zang 1153 (HKAS), San-an-qu-lin, M. Zang 1298 (HKAS); Mi-lin Co., K.-Y. Lang 600a (HKAS); Zhu-mu-long-ma-feng (Mt. Everest), X.-G. Wang 34 (MO, PE).

Habitat: on rocks in shade or on forest ground; Distribution: China, central and western Asia, Europe, and North America.

Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1996 (Pl. 84, figs. 9–10, as Tortula schmidii).