Plants turf-forming or loosely cespitose, green distally, red-brown proximally. Stems short or up to 3 cm, branching occasionally; hyalodermis usually absent, sclerodermis usually present, central strand usually present; axillary hairs several cells long, the proximal 1-2 cells usually all hyaline. Stem leaves appressed when dry, spreading when moist; ovate to lanceolate, adaxial surface often grooved along costa; base usually ovate to oblong and sheathing; distal margins recurved near base or to near apex, occasionally plane, entire or more often dentate above, sometimes bordered by 3-4 rows of thick-walled cells; apex rounded-obtuse to acute; costa ending a few cells before apex to short-excurrent, adaxial outgrowths absent, adaxial cells quadrate or seldom elongate in 2-6 rows; transverse section semicircular, adaxial epidermis present, adaxial stereid band present, guide cells 2-4 in 1 layer, hydroid strand occasionally present, abaxial stereid band present, crescent-shaped in section, abaxial epidermis usually present; differentiated proximal cells filling most of base medially, rectangular, little wider than distal cells to bulging, 2-5:1, walls of basal cells usually thin and hyaline; distal medial cells subquadrate to shortly rectangular, small, 1(-2):1, 1-stratose or seldom 2-stratose; papillae solid or occasionally hollow, 2-fid, or 4-6 projections per lumen (occasionally flattened or compound), cell walls evenly thickened, weakly sinuose, flat to bulging superficially. Specialized asexual reproduction occasionally by uni-or multi-cellular gemmae, occurring in leaf axils, or by irregularly obovoid multicellular brood bodies sometimes borne on rhizoids in the soil. Sexual condition dioicous or occasionally monoicous, rarely polygamous; perichaetia terminal, interior leaves usually sheathing in proximal half, long-oval to long-lanceolate, longer than the cauline, laminal cells rhomboid in proximal half. Seta elongate, usually more than 1 cm. Capsule stegocarpous, theca ellipsoidal to cylindric, occasionally curved, short to rather long, annulus of 1-2 rows of vesiculose cells, often revoluble or deciduous in pieces; operculum short-conic to short-rostrate; peristome absent, rudimentary or of 32 teeth, these linear, straight or twisted to 2-4 times counterclockwise. Calyptra cucullate. Spores small, lightly papillose, light brown. KOH laminal color reaction red, occasionally orange-red.
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