In the light of a phylogenetic reconstruction based on a multi-loci data set including sequence
data from all three compartments (plastome: (rps4)–trnF, rpl16 group II intron; chondrome: nad5 group
I intron; nuclear: ITS1&2) the Orthostichellaceae are described as a new family of pleurocarpous mosses.
It is distributed mainly in the Neotropics and tropical Africa, and provisionally contains the genera
Dixonia (Asia, 1 species), Afrothamnium gen. nov. (Africa and Neotropics, 1 sp.), Pinnatidendron gen. nov.
(Africa and Neotropics, 1 sp.), Deslooveria gen. nov. (Africa and French Guiana, 5 spp.), Scabrellifolium
gen. nov. (Neotropics and Africa, 2 spp.), and Orthostichella (Neotropics and Africa, 9 spp.). In the
Neckeraceae we describe Dannorrisia gen. nov. (N. America, 1 sp.), Austrothamnium gen. nov.
(Australasia, 2 spp.), and Bryobuckia gen. nov. (endemic to Chile, 7 spp.). Porotrichum s.str. becomes an
essentially Neotropical genus and it contains the formerly recognized genera Porotrichopsis and
Porotrichodendron. Thamnobryum s.str. is distributed exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere and is
largely temperate. The mainly Macaronesian Echinodiaceae becomes a family of two genera, Echinodium
(3 spp.) and Pseudomalia gen. nov. (1 sp.). The morphological evolution in the Orthostichellaceae is
discussed based on the phylogeny.