Plants small, caespitose, dark green to reddish brown; terricolous. Stems 2-6 mm tall, infrequently branched; in section with small central strand, inner cortical cells lax, outer cortical cells in 1-2 rows, stereids, dark red. Leaves spirally twisted around stem dry, erect-spreading wet, ovate-acuminate to triangular, 0.8-1.5 mm long; apex acuminate, apiculate to cuspidate; margins spirally revolute, frequently involving complete upper lamina. Costa short-excurrent, broad, ventral superficial cells quadrate to rounded, sparsely papillose, dorsal superficial cells short-rectangular, smooth; in section flattened to reniform, guide cells 4-6, ventral stereid band in 1-2 rows, cells infrequently substereids or only incrassate, ventral surface cells larger, incrassate, papillose, dorsal stereid band 4-5 cells thick, dorsal surface cells frequently substereids, smooth. Upper laminal cells rounded-quadrate, incrassate, sharply mammillose or rarely with 4-6 low, fine, C-shaped papillae over lumen; basal cells larger, quadrate to rectangular, smooth. Sporophyte not known in Africa. Middle Eastern and European specimens have: perichaetial leaves longer; seta short, orange; capsule narrowly elliptical, weakly curved, dark brown; operculum long-rostrate; spores 8-10 µm.
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Stems to 0.5 cm. Stem leaves ovate-deltoid to short-lanceolate, 1-1.5 mm, distal margins once-to almost twice-revolute; apex narrowly acute below the awn; costa ending in the long mucro or short awn, adaxial surface of costa at mid leaf convex, with 2-3 guide cells; distal laminal cells 10-13 µm wide, 1:1. Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Perichaetial leaves strongly differentiated. Seta ca. 1 cm. Capsule ca. 1.7 mm, peristome of 32 linear, yellow teeth, twisted counterclockwise a half turn, operculum conic. Spores yellow, essentially smooth, 8-10 µm.
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