基本概況
紅葉蘚屬模式種：紅葉鮮B.recurvirostrum(Hedw.）Chen
植株較粗壯，散生或疏叢生，初期黃綠色，後期漸呈紅褐色。莖單一或具分枝，密被葉；葉乾時緊貼，捲縮或鏇扭，濕時直立或背仰；呈長卵形、長橢圓形或狹長披針形，先端漸尖或圓鈍呈舌狀，稀劍頭形；葉邊平展或中下部背卷，上部常具不規則粗銳齒，稀全緣；中肋粗壯，先端稍細，在葉尖部消失或突出葉尖具小尖頭；葉中上部細胞綠色，呈圓一方形或不規則五至六邊形，每一細胞具數個圓形、馬蹄形或環狀細疣；基部細胞較長大，呈不規則長方形，平滑，常帶紅色；有的種類葉緣細胞帶呈紅棕色，多稀疏而透明，形成明顯的分化邊。多雌雄異株。蒴柄直立，成熟時紫紅色。孢蒴短圓柱形，黃褐色，老時呈紅色；環帶有分化；蒴齒短，直立；齒片呈線形，密被細疣；蒴蓋具斜長喙；蒴帽兜形。多數種類葉腋著生球形芽胞體。
該屬種類
約27種
1.高山紅葉蘚
2.深色紅葉蘚
3.鋸齒紅葉蘚
4.無齒紅葉蘚
5.鈍頭紅葉蘚
植株6.芽胞紅葉蘚
7.紅葉蘚
8.細葉紅葉蘚
9.雲南紅葉蘚
10.東亞紅葉蘚（魏氏紅葉蘚）
分布範圍
分布於南、北半球的溫帶及熱帶山區。我國已記錄有13種及2變種。
分種檢索表
1.葉先端完全回鈍··························3.鈍頭紅葉蘚B.brachystegium
1.葉先端漸尖，或葉先端呈稍鈍，但具小尖頭···························2
2.葉片呈卵圓形或卵狀披針形；葉緣無分化的邊緣·························3
2.葉片呈舌形；葉緣具多列胞壁厚，且平滑無疣的細胞，構成明顯分化的邊緣··············9
3.葉片呈闊卵圓形；雌苞葉比普通葉較闊大；基部呈鞘狀···········10.細紅葉蘚B.tenerrimum
3.葉片呈披針形；雌苞葉不分化·································44．葉邊全緣且全部背卷·····································5
4.葉邊僅下部全緣，背卷；上部多平展，且有鋸齒··························7
5.葉片狹長，呈長卵狀披針形，先端狹長漸尖···················9.大紅葉蘚B.rubrum
5.葉片較短闊，先端較鈍，具短尖頭································6
6.植株較細小；葉邊先端全緣或具微齒，葉基狹且無分化···········8.紅葉蘚B.recurviroslrum
6.植株較粗壯；葉邊先端具不規則的粗鋸齒，葉基闊且與上部有明顯分化····13.雲南紅葉蘚B.yunnanense
7.植株纖細；葉片厚，疏生緊貼莖上，葉基無分化···············4.鋸齒紅葉蘚B.dentatura
7.植株較粗壯；葉片或多或少傾立，葉基有分化···························8
8.葉邊全緣；中肋粗壯，長達葉尖·····················5.無齒紅葉蘚B.gymnostomum
8.葉邊中上部具粗鋸齒；中肋至葉尖稍下即消失···························12
9.植株較矮小，莖高約0.5-2cm葉片呈長橢圓狀舌形，葉先端急尖，具小尖頭··············10
9.植株長大，莖高約3--5cm；葉片呈長卵披針形，葉先端漸尖··········2.深色紅葉蘚B.atrorubens
10.葉邊具規則的細鋸齒，每齒由I個細胞或僅細胞尖部突出形成·········11.東亞紅葉蘚B.wallichii
10.葉邊具不規則的粗鋸齒，每1齒由多個細胞構成··························11
11.植株特細小，莖高僅5-7cm；無性芽胞缺如··················6.異葉紅葉蘚B.hostile
11.植株較大，莖高可達2cm以上；葉腋具多數呈總狀花序似的卵球形芽胞體···7芽胞紅葉蘚B.pergemmascens12.葉片上部漸呈披針形葉尖·························1.高山紅葉蘚B.alpigenum
12.葉片上部圓闊具小突尖頭························12.伊春紅葉蘚B.yichunense
