Hymenostylium recurvirostrum (Hedw.) Dix., Rev. Bryol. Lichénol. 6: 96. 1934.

Gymnostomum recurvirostrum Hedw., Sp. Musc. Frond. 33. 1801. Protologue: Poland and Germany. In rupibus gypsaceis prope Osterode et Niedersachswerfen dextexit Ehrhart. 

Plants small to medium-sized, tufted or forming mats, yellowish green to yellowish brown, saxicolous or terricolous. Stems erect, 2–45 mm high, smooth or papillose, sclerodermis present, central strand absent; rhizoids red-brown, smooth to lightly roughened. Leaves distant and evenly spaced, lanceolate, oblong or ligulate, 1–3 mm long, appressed, somewhat contorted and incurved when dry, erect to wide-spreading when wet; apices acute to acuminate or obtuse, mucronate; margins generally plane above weakly recurved on one side or both sides at mid-leaf or below, entire to crenulate; costa ending just below the apex, narrow, dorsal surface smooth, ventral surface smooth, guide cells and two stereid bands present, ventral surface cells not enlarged; upper cells round quadrate to oblate above and becoming short-rectangular below mid-leaf, 8–20 x 8–14 μm, walls thickened to incrassate and frequently nodose, cells papillose with low papillae centered over lumina, basal cells rectangular to oblong, 20–40 x 12–18 μm, walls somewhat thickened and pitted, smooth, alar cells not differentiated. Dioicous. Setae 4–10 mm long, reddish brown, smooth, sigmoid when dry. Capsules exserted, erect, short cylindrical, 0.8–1.2 mm long, smooth, systylius, reddish brown; stomata in neck; opercula obliquely rostrate, 1 mm long. peristome absent. Spores 12–18 μm, granulate, brown. Calyptrae 1.5–2 mm, cucullate, smooth.