Plants small, turf-forming or loosely cespitose, green distally, sometimes brown proximally. Stems often branching, to 4 mm, hyalodermis absent, sclerodermis weak, central strand strong; rhizoids sparse; axillary hairs of up to 5 cells, the basal 1-2 yellow. Cauline leaves smaller proximally, distally much larger, rosulate, crowded, incurved to spreading, often tubulose and incurved-contorted when dry, widespreading when moist, spathulate to oblong-ligulate; base little different in shape; margins incurved, involute or sometimes plane, entire or distantly denticulate above; apex rounded-acute to broadly rounded-obtuse, usually apiculate; costa short-excurrent, percurrent or ending up to 4 cells before the apex, adaxial surface of bulging cells, adaxial epidermis of bulging or mammillose cells, abaxial epidermis weakly differentiated, 1-2 stereid bands, guide cells 2-4 in 1 layer, hydroid strand often present; basal cells not differentiated or distinct in a small medial group or across the base, quadrate to short-rectangular, hyaline to yellowish; distal laminal cells rounded-hexagonal, walls evenly thickened, adaxially bulging-mammillose, abaxially nearly plane; distal laminal papillae often absent, or solid, small, simple, 1-2 per lumen abaxially or occasionally on both sides. Specialized asexual reproduction absent [gemmae present in leaf axils]. Sexual condition dioicous. Perichaetia terminal, leaves ovate-lanceolate to ligulate, shorter than stem leaves. Seta 1-8 mm. Capsule red to yellow-brown, ellipsoidal, operculum rostrate, peristome of 16 red, spiculose, long-linear teeth, not twisted, basal membrane absent. Calyptra cucullate. Spores lightly papillose, 8-10 µm. Laminal KOH color reaction in proximal leaves often orange-brown, in distal leaves yellow.
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