Plants moderate-sized to fairly robust; strong-stemmed and generally compact, capitulum usually not much enlarged; greenish brown to deep golden brown; forming compact carpets in floating mats and depressions as well as dense stands on hummock sides and low hummocks. Stems brown, superficial cortical layer with spiral reinforcing fibrils visible; usually 1-2 pores per cell, comb-fibrils lacking on interior wall. Stem leaves to 1.3 × 0.7 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, mostly septate. Branches generally short and blunt, leaves spreading. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2-3 pendent branches. Branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented, no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, mostly with 1 pore per cell on superficial cell wall. Branch leaves broadly ovate, 1.7 × 1 mm; hyaline cells on convex surface with round to elliptic pores along the commissures, hyaline cell walls covered with papillae where overlying chlorophyllous cells; chlorophyllous cells trapezoidal to truncate-elliptic in transverse section, equally exposed on both surfaces or less exposed on convex surface, end walls thickened. Sexual condition dioicous. Capsule with numerous pseudostomata. Spores 26-36 µm; more roughly papillose on distal surface than proximal surface, distinct raised, bifurcated-Y mark sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesura 0.5 spore radius or more.
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