The Phyllogoniaceae is considered to be monogeneric. Orthorrhynchium Reichdt. is placed in its own new family, Orthonhynchiaceae. Catagonium C. Müll. ex Broth, is recognized as belonging to the family Plagiotheciaceae. Horikawaea Nog. and Orthorrhynchidium Ren. & Card, are proper members of the Pterobryaceae. Orthorrhynchium phyllogonioides is regarded as a type species of a new genus Pursellia which is placed in family Pterobryaceae. The recognized species, subspecies and varieites are: Phyllogonium fulgens, P. fulgens var. gracile, P. fulgens var. rufescens (var. nov.),P. viride, P. viscosum; Orthorrhynchium elegans, O. elegans ssp. nietneri (stat. nov.), O. elegans ssp. cymbifolioides (stat. nov.), O. elegans ssp. tumidum (ssp. nov.), O. balansaeanum; Catagonium nitens, C. nitens ssp. maritimum (stat. nov.), C. nitidum, C. brevicaudatum, C. emarginatum (sp. nov.); Horikawaea nitida, H. dubia (comb, nov.); and Pursellia phyllogonioides (comb. nov.). The taxa of new recombination which are excluded from this study are: Taxiphyllum gracile (Besch.), T. serrulatum (Card.) and Entodon novarae (Reichdt.). New terms, "vaginular leaves" and "gonoparaphyllia" are proposed.