Cyathophorum is a genus of moss placed in the class Bryopsida, within the order Hookeriales. Its family-level placement varies by source: GBIF's accepted checklist record and the Wikipedia genus article both list it under Hypopterygiaceae, while GBIF's backbone taxonomy alternatively places it in Hookeriaceae with a "doubtful" taxonomic status — reflecting some ongoing uncertainty in moss family circumscription at this level rather than a settled placement.
Wikipedia describes the genus as containing about seven species, distributed across Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and extending through Australia and Oceania — a disjunct, largely Old World and Southern Hemisphere range typical of several Hookeriales lineages. GBIF's own species counts for the genus are considerably lower (one to four, depending on the checklist consulted), illustrating how differently regional and global databases currently delimit the group's species boundaries.
One recognizable member of the genus, Cyathophorum bulbosum, carries the common name "False Fern Moss" and is the species illustrated in the genus's Wikipedia entry. Alongside it, Cyathophorum africanum represents the genus's African range implied by Wikipedia's distribution statement. Together the two hint at the wide geographic spread — from Africa to Australasia — that characterizes Cyathophorum as currently understood, even as its precise species count and family placement remain unsettled across taxonomic sources.
Distribution
Species of Cyathophorum are found across Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and through to Australia and Oceania. This broad, disjunct range is reflected in the genus's own species names, such as the African Cyathophorum africanum and the Australasian Cyathophorum bulbosum.
Taxonomy Notes
Family placement for Cyathophorum differs between taxonomic sources: Wikipedia and GBIF's accepted checklist record place it in Hypopterygiaceae, while GBIF's backbone taxonomy instead lists it under Hookeriaceae with a "doubtful" status. Both agree the genus sits in order Hookeriales, class Bryopsida. Reported species counts also diverge — Wikipedia states about seven species, while GBIF checklists variously count one to four — indicating unsettled species delimitation within the genus.
