Bryum torquescens Bruch ex De Not.

Plants medium-sized, caespitose, green or reddish green above, brown to red-brown below; corticolous or saxicolous. Stems 1-15(-20) mm tall, branching by subperichaetial innovations, innovations to 10 mm long, tomentose below; rhizoids red-brown, coarsely papillose, tubers (140-)170-280 µm, red. Leaves crowded above to comose, larger above, twisted to spirally twisted around stem when dry, patent when wet; elliptical to oblong-spathulate or oblong, (1.5-)2.0-3.0(-3.5) mm long; apex acute to acuminate; margins plane above, plane to recurved below, denticulate above; border (1-)2-3 cells wide, incrassate. Costa mucronate to aristate, awn (0.2-)0.4-0.6(-0.8) mm long, denticulate above, frequently reddish; in section round to subround, laminal insertion ventral, ventral surface cells present, dorsal stereid band strong, dorsal surface cells incrassate, hydroids present between guide cells and stereid band. Upper laminal cells rhomboidal to hexagonal, (45-)50-75(-88) µm long, (15-)16-22(-25) µm wide; basal laminal cells rectangular to quadrate, occasionally pitted, frequently reddish below. Filamentous gemmae absent. Synoicous, autoicous or dioicous, frequently fruiting. Perichaetia terminal, leaves lanceolate to triangular. Seta (15-)20-30(-35) mm long, yellowish or reddish brown; capsule cemuous to pendulous, cylindrical, red or reddish brown, slightly contracted below mouth when dry, urn 1.4-2.7 mm long, neck occasionally wrinkled when dry; exothecial cells shorter above, in longitudinal rows, at mouth in 1-2 transverse rows; peristome double, exostome teeth oblong-acuminate, generally orange, finely papillose, endostome segments frequently broad below, abruptly narrowed above, broadly perforated, cilia 3, appendiculate, basal membrane high, finely papillose; operculum hemispherical, apiculate; calyptra cucullate; spores small, 12-14 µm, pale yellow, smooth to minutely papillose.