Plants small to large, in open to dense low turfs or gregarious (tall turfs in R. andersonii), green to red-green. Stems 0.3-6 cm, usually strongly rosulate, sometimes in 2 or more interrupted rosettes, rarely evenly foliate or subjulaceous, subfloral innovations common; rhizoids often many, micronemata and macronemata present. Leaves variously contorted to spirally twisted around stem when dry or rarely nearly imbricate, erect to erect-spreading when moist, ovate, obovate, or spathulate, flat or weakly concave, 0.4-4.5 mm; base sometimes decurrent; margins recurved proximally or sometimes plane, plane distally, nearly entire to distinctly serrate near apex, 1-stratose, limbidium present or absent; apex broadly rounded to acute; costa sometimes not reaching apex, usually short-to long-excurrent, awn pigmented or hyaline, , guide cells present, in 1 (or 2) layers; alar cells not differentiated; laminal areolation heterogeneous; proximal laminal cells rectangular, , 2-4:1; medial and distal cells rhomboidal, 3-5:1, walls thin to thick, sometimes porose. Specialized asexual reproduction common, by rhizoidal tubers or filiform leaf axil gemmae. Sexual condition dioicous, rarely synoicous, polyoicous, or autoicous; perigonia and perichaetia appearing terminal or lateral; perigonial leaves often enlarged and distinctly rosulate; perichaetial leaves same size as vegetative leaves, not forming rosette, inner leaves differentiated, more acuminate. Seta single, rarely double or triple, straight. Capsule nutant to inclined, clavate to cylindric or rarely pyriform, 2-6 mm; hypophysis little differentiated; operculum short-conic to umbonate; peristome double; exostome yellow, teeth lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate; endostome , not adherent to exostome, basal membrane high, 1/2-2/3 exostome length, segments same height as exostome, widely perforated, cilia 2 or 3, appendiculate. Spores shed singly, 8-20µm, smooth to finely papillose, dark yellow.
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