Plants small, in loose tufts, green; terricolous. Stems 5-10 mm tall, lower parts frequently buried, unbranched; in section with central strand, inner cortical cells large, lax, outer cortical cells in 1-3 rows, smaller, incrassate, red-brown. Leaves imbricate, contorted or spirally twisted dry, spreading wet; ovate-acuminate to triangular, 1.5-2.5 mm long; apex acute to obtuse; margins spirally revolute, entire; marginal cells differentiated into specialized photosynthetic region; in section 4-5 cells enclosed by spiralling leaf, enlarged, thin-walled. Costa apiculate to short-excurrent as smooth, yellow awn, 35-40 µm wide at apex; ventral superficial cells quadrate, papillose, dorsal superficial cells rectangular, incrassate, smooth; in section guide cells 2, ventral cells 2, papillose, dorsal stereid band 5-8 cells thick, dorsal surface cells frequently substereids. Upper laminal cells quadrate to hexagonal, juxtacostally with 4-6 C-or O-shaped papillae over lumen, cells of revolute portion smooth or ventrally papillose; marginal cells enlarged, lax; basal cells quadrate, smooth. Dioicous. Perichaetia terminal, leaves undifferentiated. Seta 5-7 mm long, yellowish red, becoming red with age; capsule cylindrical, 1.5-1.8 mm long, red-brown; peristome short, 0.6 mm high, teeth linear above short basal membrane, spirally twisted 1-2 times, papillose; operculum rostrate, 0.8 mm long; spores round, 10-11 µm, smooth or weakly punctate.
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