Breutelia chrysea (C. Müll.) Jaeg., Ber. Thätigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1873-74: 98. 1875. Bartramia chrysea C. Müll., Linnaea 38: 598. 1874. Protologue: Colombia. Nova Granata, prov. Antioquia, Paramo de Sonson, 10-12,000 pedes alta: G. Wallis 1872.

Plants moderate to robust-sized, in dense, somewhat glossy, yellowish‑green or brownish green tufts to 13 cm high. Stems red, hyalodermis and central strand present, moderately to densely tomentose below; rhizoids reddish brown, lightly papillose. Leaves 3–5 x 0.8–1.3 mm, ovate-lanceolate, closely spaced, erect-spreading to secund when wet, loosely appressed, erect-spreading, wide-spreading or subfalcate above when dry, base plicate, spreading or erect; apices slenderly acuminate, at times twisted when dry; margins recurved above midleaf, serrulate; costae shortly excurrent; leaf cells porose or smooth-walled, papillose at lower ends above, from either end below, upper cells linear-elongate, thick‑walled, 17–55 x 3–7 μm, basal cells linear-elongate, 40–84 x 3–5 μm, thick-walled, alar region with 4–9 rows of enlarged, firm-walled or inflated cells at basal angles, often extending up the basal margins, intra-alar cells enlarged, hyaline or orange, straight-walled. Dioicous. Sporophytes not seen. “Setae 10–14 mm long, somewhat curved above, capsules subglobose, 3.5–4 mm long x 2.5–3 mm wide, longitudinally furrowed when dry, peristome inserted below the mouth, teeth lanceolate, reddish orange, 550–575 μm long, papillose, endostome pale yellow, nearly equally the exostome, faintly granulose to smooth, spores subreniform, areolate-tuberculate, 24–27 μm long x 18–22 μm wide” (Griffin 1984).