The genus Ptilidium has a boreal distribution, and is found in abundance in coniferous forests of Europe, Asia, and North America,[REF] as well as in New Zealand[REF] and Tierra del Fuego [REF].
Schuster (1984) proposed that the disjunct distribution of Ptilidium ciliare between the northern and southern hemispheres could be explained by migration of the Indian Plate from Gondwana [REF].