Plants medium-sized to large, in green or yellow green mats. Primary stems creeping, irregularly
branched; rhizoids not seen. Secondary stems horizontal or erect and loosely spreading, to 7 cm long,
irregularly or pinnately branched; cross section with sclerodermis of 3–6 rows of small, red brown,
thick-walled cells, cortical cells enlarged, yellow to hyaline, very thick-walled, central strand absent;
paraphyllia absent; pseudoparaphyllia filamentous and with scale leaves. Secondary stem and branch
leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1.7–2.4 mm long, loosely imbricate, somewhat wrinkled when
dry, patent when wet, gradually long-acuminate, apices often twisted, distinctly decurrent; margins
revolute in lower 1/2, denticulate above; costa strong, 0.6–0.9 the leaf length; cells smooth and thickwalled,
upper cells narrowly elliptic, 22–37 μm long, median cells elliptic, 11–18 μm long; basal cells
near costa in lower 1/2 long elliptic, 14–22 μm long; alar cells rounded to subquadrate, 8–14 μm. Autoicous.
Perichaetia lateral, leaves oblong to oblong-lanceolate, inner ones abruptly narrowed to long,
serrulate to smooth aristae, as long as or more than the leaf length, costa stoutly filling the apex,
weakly developed at base and often absent at midleaf. Setae short, 0.1–0.2 mm long, yellow, cells
quadrate. Capsules immersed, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.2–2.0 mm long, smooth, light brown, narrowed
at the mouth, abruptly rounded-indented to the setae; exothecial cells small, red, in 2–3 rows below
the mouth, irregularly short-rectangular below; stomata immersed at base of capsule; opercula conic,
smooth, 0.5–0.6 mm long; annuli compound, often clinging to mouth after dehiscence; peristome
diplolepideous, inserted within the mouth; exostome teeth narrowly triangular, yellowish white, 0.4 mm
long; endostome segments linear, papillose, 0.3 mm long, cilia absent, basal membranes very low.
Spores spherical, papillose, 22–30 μm. Calyptrae mitrate, prorate, 0.4–0.6 mm long.