Plants forming cushions, green, occasionally blackish green distally, yellow-brown to dark brown proximally. Stems usually to 2 cm, occasionally branching; rounded-pentagonal in transverse section, hyalodermis generally absent; sclerodermis absent, central strand present; rhizoids often dense; axillary hairs ca. 5-8 cells in length, basal 1-3 cells thicker-walled. Leaves appressed-incurved to lax when dry, weakly to widely spreading when moist; obovate to spathulate, ovate to elliptical, occasionally ligulate, adaxial surface nearly flat to concave, broadly channeled, occasionally grooved along costa, 1-4(-6) mm; base scarcely differentiated to elliptical; margins recurved proximally or rarely plane, entire or occasionally serrulate near apex, margins occasionally with 1-4 cell rows often less papillose and smaller, walls thicker; apex broadly acute to rounded, lamina inserted laterally or to 45° on costa; costa short-to long-excurrent as an awn, occasionally percurrent or subpercurrent, adaxial outgrowths rarely present as an elliptical pad of cells bulging from adaxial costal surface, adaxial cells quadrate, papillose or smooth, in 3-4(-5) rows adaxially, abaxial cells short-rectangular to elliptic, papillose or smooth; transverse section of costa circular to semicircular, adaxial epidermis present, adaxial stereid band absent [occasionally small], guide cells 2(-3) [absent], in 1(-2) layers, hydroid strand present, often large, abaxial stereid band present, rounded, elliptical, or semicircular in sectional shape, abaxial epidermis present, occasionally present only laterally, rare absent; basal cells reaching across leaf or rising higher medially, rectangular, 18-25 µm, 2-5:1, walls thin, hyaline; distal laminal cells rounded-quadrate to hexagonal, occasionally rhomboidal, distal laminal cells ca. 15-19 µm wide, 1:1-2, papillae mostly hollow, simple or 2-fid, 4-6 per lumen, occasionally on conic salients, cell walls thin, seldom evenly thickened, superficially convex. Specialized asexual reproduction by brood bodies on rhizoids [gemmae on leaves]. Sexual condition dioicous or monoicous (commonly autoicous or synoicous); perichaetia terminal, inner leaves little different or somewhat larger than the cauline. Seta yellowish brown or brown, very short to 2.5 cm, twisted counterclockwise or not twisted. Capsule usually stegocarpic, occasionally cleistocarpic, yellowish brown or dark brown, spheric, ovate, elliptic or cylindric, occasionally inclined, 0.5-3(-7) mm, exothecial cells rectangular, 25-30 µm, ca. 2-3:1, walls thin or evenly thickened; annulus of 1-2 rows of vesiculose cells, persistent [very rarely revoluble], cells twisted counterclockwise; peristome of 32 filaments or 16 long or shortly triangular teeth, cleft to near base, or absent, straight or twisted counterclockwise, articulations usually many, teeth absent, rudimentary, or up to 2000 µm, spiculose, basal membrane absent, low, or up to 1000 µm, spiculose; operculum long-conic, occasionally shortly rostrate, occasionally not differentiated, 0.5-2.5 mm. Calyptra cucullate, 2.5-6 mm, smooth. Spores 13-30(-50) µm, papillose, rarely densely spiculose, light brown. Laminal color reaction to KOH yellow, occasionally red medially or rarely throughout, or negative or orange.
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