Plants in low cushions or turfs or loosely cespitose, green distally, brown to tan or yellow proximally. Stems to 1 cm, hyalodermis weakly differentiated to distinct, seldom absent, sclerodermis weakly differentiated in 1-2 layers, central strand present; axillary hairs with proximal 1-2 cells somewhat thicker walled. Leaves incurved, commonly tubulose and often contorted or spiraled when dry, spreading when moist; long-ligulate, oblong or triangular to long-lanceolate, 1.5-2.5(-4) mm; adaxial surface broadly channeled across leaf; base scarcely differentiated to ovate or rectangular, occasionally half-sheathing; distal margins usually sharply incurved, occasionally merely erect, seldom plane, entire; apex sharply acute to subulate, occasionally broadly acute, obtuse, or weakly cucullate; costa shortly and sharply mucronate, adaxial outgrowths absent, adaxial cells quadrate to short-rectangular except occasionally elongate near apex, in 4-8 rows; transverse section ovate, occasionally circular or semicircular, adaxial epidermis present, adaxial stereid band present, guide cells 4-6(-8) in 1 layer, hydroid strand absent, abaxial stereid band present, crescent in sectional shape, abaxial epidermis present or occasionally absent; basal cells differentiated across leaf, rarely rising higher along margins in a V shape, rectangular, occasionally rhomboid, 2-5:1; distal medial cells subquadrate to hexagonal, 7-13 µm, papillae 2-fid, 2-6 per lumen, occasionally fused into a large multiplex papilla covering the lumen, occasionally spiculiform and branching. Specialized asexual reproduction rare, as rhizoidal gemmae. Sexual condition monoicous (usually autoicous), occasionally dioicous; perichaetia terminal, interior leaves occasionally sheathing seta, little different from cauline leaves or somewhat larger. Seta 0.1-1.3 cm. Capsule stegocarpic or cleistocarpic; theca elliptical to short-ovate or cylindric, 1-2.2 mm, annulus in ca. 2 rows of persistent, vesiculose cells or not differentiated; operculum when present conic to rostrate; peristome teeth 16 or rudimentary or absent, occasionally removed with operculum, oblong-truncate to long-triangular, often irregularly cleft, straight or twisted weakly counterclockwise, mouth occasionally closed by a remnant of the spore sac. Calyptra cucullate. Spores 14-28 µm. KOH laminal color reaction yellow.
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