Breutelia auriculata Bartr., Bryologist 49: 115. 1946.

Protologue: Guatemala. Dept. San Marcos: Finca El Porvenir along Río Chopal, south facing slopes of Volcán Tajumulco, alt. 1300–1500 m., Steyermark 37462 (F, FH).

Plants robust, in loose, glossy, yellowish‑green or green tufts, to 12 cm high. Stems red,  hyalodermis and central strand present, densely tomentose below; rhizoids reddish brown, smooth to lightly roughened. Leaves 3–4 mm long, moderately to well-spaced, erect-spreading to spreading, weakly flexuose when dry, erect or erect-spreading when wet, straight, oblong-lanceolate, not plicate at base; apices gradually acuminate; margins plane, minutely serrulate, long-decurrent, decurrent cells lax and enlarged; costae percurrent to shortly excurrent; leaf cells with straight walls and papillae at upper ends, upper cells rectangular to long-rectangular, firm‑walled, 20–53 x 5–7.5 μm, all basal cells lax and inflated, 71 x 23 μm. Dioicous. Perigonia discoid. Setae flexuose, 12–14 mm long. Capsules inclined, 2.5–3 mm long, globose to subglobose, furrowed when dry, striate when wet; exothecial cells thin-walled; stomata numerous at base; opercula plano-convex; exostome teeth narrowly triangular, finely papillose below, coarsely papillose near tips, dorsal trabeculae faint, ventral trabeculae strongly thickened, endostome segments broad, yellowish, papillose, segments split along the median line and each half diverging toward the cilia. Spores reniform, 25 μm, coarsely papillose, red-brown.