Micromorphological investigations and morphometric analyses of median laminal cells in Ectropothecium Mitt. and its relatives in Hypnales confirmed the presence of protuberances in some taxa. Differences in form and size of protuberances were diagnostic and statistically significant in some taxa. Combined cpDNA (rpL32-trnL, trnH-,em>psbA, and trnSGG) and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 nDNA sequence data were well-suited to examine evolutionary relationships of Ectropothecium. All analyses recovered Ectropothecium as paraphyletic and supported sister relationships of Ectropothecium and Vesicularia (Müll.Hal.) Müll.Hal. Analyses of molecular and combined data supported the monophyly of Australasian Ectropothecium, with the inclusion of Trachythecium verrucosum (A.Jaeger) M.Fleisch. in Ectropothecium. These latter analyses also recovered Ectropothecium and Vesicularia as sisters.