Plants small, in open to dense turfs or dense cushions, dark green to golden. Stems 0.5-2 cm, rosulate or sometimes gemmiform, sparsely to strongly branching by subfloral innovations; rhizoids few to many, micronemata often present on stems. Leaves imbricate to spirally twisted around stem when dry, erect-spreading when moist, broadly ovate, concave, 0.6-2(-3) mm, smaller proximally; base not or weakly decurrent; margins plane or revolute proximally, entire to serrate distally, 1-stratose, limbidium absent or present; apex acute to broadly rounded; costa short-to long-excurrent, awn stout, pigmented, denticulate, , guide cells present; alar cells usually similar to juxtacostal cells; laminal areolation heterogeneous; proximal laminal cells quadrate to short-rectangular, 1-2:1; medial and distal cells short-rectangular to irregularly hexagonal, 2-4:1, walls thin to somewhat thick, not pitted. Specialized asexual reproduction by rhizoidal tubers or absent. Sexual condition dioicous; perigonia and perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves same size as vegetative leaves or usually larger, sometimes forming rosette, inner leaves highly differentiated, often narrower. Seta single, straight. Capsule erect to suberect, elongate-ovate to subcylindric, 1-3 mm; hypophysis slender to well differentiated; operculum short-to long-conic; peristome double; exostome red-brown proximally, pale brown distally, teeth linear-lanceolate; endostome , separate from exostome, basal membrane low, segments absent or short and blunt, not perforate, cilia rudimentary or absent. Spores shed singly, 12-18 µm, smooth or papillose, pale tan to brown.
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