Catagoniaceae is a small family of mosses in the order Hypnales, distinguished by its hypnoid peristome characterized by well-developed, ornamented exostomial teeth and leaves with double costae. Species typically grow in compact tufts or dense mats on various substrates, including tree trunks (corticicolous), rocks (rupicolous), and soil (terricolous). The family has a disjunct distribution, primarily found in South America (especially Brazil's Atlantic Forest and Amazon Rainforest) and Oceania. In Brazil, these mosses inhabit diverse vegetation types such as ombrophilous forests and high-altitude environments.
Morphology
Catagoniaceae species are relatively small, forming dense green mats. They feature:
Ascending stems (caulidia) with irregular or simple branching
Cylindrical or flattened shoots
Rhizoids with projections at the stem base
Clustered oblong-ovate to elliptic leaves with abruptly apiculate tips
Dioicous sexuality
A double-layered peristome (exostome and endostome)
