In this paper, three topics concerning the genus Fissidens Hedw. are addressed. Firstly, description of five new species of the genus, viz. the Malagasy Fissidens arboricola Brugg.-Nann. and F. granulidens Brugg.-Nann., the Mauritian F. papillisetus Brugg.-Nann., the Tanzanian F. rotundifolius Brugg.-Nann. and the Brazilian F. pseudoscindulatus Brugg.-Nann. All five belong to F. subgen. Polypodiopsis (Müll. Hal.) Broth. sect. Antennidens (Müll.Hal.) Paris, are corticolous and have anomalous peristomes. Secondly, taxonomic studies revealed that F. subgen. Aloma (Kindb.) Pursell & Brugg.-Nann. is subsumed under F. subgen. Polypodiopsis (Müll.Hal.) Broth. and F. sect. Semilimbidium Müll.Hal. under sect. Antennidens (Müll.Hal.) Paris and their names are considered new synonyms of the names of the respective infrageneric taxa. Fissidens jonesii Bizot ex Pócs, previously considered conspecific with F. lagenarius Mitt. is re-instated as a good species, described, illustrated and compared to F. lagenarius. Thirdly, Fissidens lagenarius is newly recorded for the Republic of South Africa and its African distribution is amended and updated, with consideration of the revised taxonomic concept of F. jonesii.