Plants large or robust, in loose turfs or cushions, yellow-green to dark green above, olive-green to blackish below; saxicolous or rarely terricolous. Stems 40-80 mm tall, with sparse, reddish tomentum below; in section round, central strand large, inner cortical cells of medium size, in 4-6 rows, outer cortical cells in 2-3 rows, smaller, stereids to substereids, reddish. Leaves frequently comose at apex, and occasionally at intervals along stem indicating previous growth cycles, appressed dry, erect-spreading wet, convolute or occasionally open, lamina frequently weakly undulate; lanceolate to broadly elliptical, narrowly acuminate, 3.5-7.0 mm long; base frequently weakly auriculate; margins entire, broadly incurved above. Costa frequently spurred in lamina, 2/5 width of leaf base, short-to long-excurrent as a dentate, hyaline awn or a very short hyaline tip, rarely percurrent; in proximal section guide cells c. 14, ventral stereid band 1-2 cells thick, central, exposing 1-2 guide cells on either side, dorsal stereid band 2-3 cells thick, occasionally cells substereids, dorsal surface ± smooth; in distal section ventral stereid band 1 cell thick, dorsal stereid band 2-3 cells thick, dorsal surface with single-celled projections (lamellae). Upper laminal cells rectangular to rhomboidal, rarely elongate rhomboidal, generally strongly incrassate, pitted; basal cells quadrate to rectangular, in 2-6 rows above alar cells, thin-walled; alar cells moderately to highly differentiated, quadrate, weakly thickened, reddish to dark red. Sporophytes rare. Perichaetia terminal, leaves slightly larger. Seta to 6 mm long, blackish, frequently 2 per perichaetium; capsule elliptical, 2 mm long, plicate dry, blackish; peristome fragile, only basal parts seen; spores round, 20 µm, yellow-brown, granulate. Other parts not seen.
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