Monoicous (paroicous or autoicous), pale green-yellow-pale brown, on soil or rarely on bark, rather stiff-flaccid in wet localities. Stem to 20 mm long, (90-) 140-160 (-220) µ in diameter, green-pale brown, branches to 10 mm long. Cortical cells of varying size, usually 18 x 30 µ, up to 20 X50 µ, hexagonal, thin walled, cuticle smooth. Leaves alternate, subopposite, imbricate, usually 0.8-1 mm long, generally roundcdly trapeziform-roundedly triangular, base broad, basal portion ascending or erect and distal portion strongly reflexed, margins frequently partly reflexed, especially in the upper margin near the base, in flaccid forms sometimes slightly undulate; apex rounded or truncate, occasionally emarginale or shortly bilobed, margin slightly crenulate by projecting cells, sometimes sparsely dentate (var, armata mihi), dorsal margin ± longly decurrcnt, ventral margin somewhat exceeding the stem. Upper portion of the insertion line usually arched with convexity towards the apex in the upper leaves, otherwise straightly oblique in about 10-20° against the axis of the stem. Marginal cells (10-) 14-30 µ, usually 18-20 µ, cells in the centre of the leaf 20 x 20-20 x 30 µ, basal cells somewhat larger, trigones small-medium sized or sometimes lacking, cuticle smooth. Oil bodies 1-10 per cell, usually elliptical 6 x 8-12 µ, or small and globose 4 µ in diameter, composed of small-rather large drops, colourless-generally pale yellowish brown, in the dead cell soon decomposed to numerous small oil drops. Cuticle smooth. Amphigastria of varying size, small to large, free or connate at one side, usually 1/2 as wide as the stem-of the same width as the stem, bilobed to 1/2 or deeper, erecto-patent with the lobes incurved, in the lateral margins 1-2 ± large acute, usually ending with a long uniseriate apex, frequently witli a mucous apical cell, sinus usually acute. In wet localities occurs forms with amphigastria large, of varying shape, divided to llie base into two or frequently three lobes, dentate with lacinulate teeth, free or occasionally connate with the upper margin of the subajacent leaf (forma magnistipula mihi, described as Lophocolea magnistipula). This form is connected with the main species by intermediate forms. Rhizoids in fascicles from below the insertion of the amphigastria, pale brown-colourless. Perianth terminal, trigonously campanuliform, deeply trilobed, lobes bifid and lacinulate, plicae keeled, sometimes (in plants from Knysna) winged. Bracts in 2-3 pairs, larger than the leaves, apex roundedly truncate-emarginate-very shortly bilobed, dorsal margin frequently broadly reflexed, dorsal and ventral margin frequently with 1-3 sharp teeth near the base. Bracteole 2/3 the length of the bracts, bilobed to 1/3, with 1-2 large teeth on the lateral side. Antheridia in the axils of 2-3 pairs of subinvolucral bracts, or in separate androecia, intercalary or terminal. Bracts with base concave, sometimes a small looth in the anterior margin as a rudimentary lobule or (in plants from Knysna) a lobule with 1-2 ciliate teeth. Gemmae rare, unicellular or polycellular, of the same appearance as in Lophocolea minor, from the lacinulae of the perianth, from the teeth and margins of bracts, sometimes also from the amphigastria and the margins of the leaves.
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