Plants small, 3–5 mm high, dark, somewhat glaucous-green, gregarious or in low tangled sods. Stems very short; rhizoids dark red. Leaves curled-contorted and somewhat undulate when dry, ascending when moist, broadly linear above broader base, tapering only at apex, 2–4 mm long, axillary hairs inconspicuous; cells of upper laminae obscure, isodiametric, finely pluripapillose abaxially and adaxially, papillae low (cells not bulging papillose); margins of upper laminae bordered all around with elongate hyaline cells, entire except more or less toothed toward apex; cancellinae narrowly rounded distally. Gemmae frequent, inconspicuous, borne on adaxial surface of costa tip. Sporophytes not seen.

Type. Brazil: Serra dos Orgos, January 1823, Beyrich s.n., (isotypes BM, GOET, JE, NY).

Chinese specimens examined: HAINAN: Chang-jiang Co., Reese et al. 17580, 17668B (IBSC, LAF). TAIWAN: Nan-tou Co., Yuzawa 367622 (IBSC, LAF, NICH).

Habitat: very rare; on tree bases in low moist evergreen forest at moderate elevations; 1000–1480 m; Distribution: pantropical.

The var. prolifer is well marked and easy to recognize by its broadly linear leaves with entire margins bordered all around with hyaline cells, and the obscure cells of the upper laminae which are finely pluripapillose on both surfaces. Syrrhopodon prolifer var. tosaensis is similar but has acuminate leaves and pellucid cells that are distinctively bulging-pluripapillose abaxially and adaxially. The var. prolifer is common and widespread in the neotropics but rare in most of the Palaeotropics. Orbán and Reese (1990) reviewed the S. prolifer complex on a worldwide basis. This moss is evidently extremely rare in China, known only from the specimens cited above.

Illustrations: Reese & P.-J. Lin 1991 (fig. 75).