In the class Haplomitriopsida the plants are acrocarpous and the gametophyte is leafy. Generally the stems are able to secrete copious amounts of mucilage, which is discharged from the epidermal cells.
The gametangia are typically situated in the axils of the leaves or lobules. It is worth noting however that the archegonia and antheridia are normally not differentiated from the surrounding tissue of the gametophyte.
The sporophytes, which are relatively large, generally open along four lines of dehiscence.