Plants usually dull and dark green to sordid yellow-green distally, brown to black proximally, typically compact and rosulate to more elongate and showing annual whorls. Stems almost absent or stems to 0.5(–0.7) cm, central strand distinct, densely radiculose with red-brown radicles or infrequently populations with elongate stems without tomentum. Stem leaves densely foliose in rosulate habits, abruptly larger distally, the whorl-bases consisting of small leaves, loosely and variously incurled and contorted, occasionally somewhat crisped when dry, widespreading to patent when moist, typically oblong or oblong-spathulate, most leaves flat at mid leaf, somewhat concave and weakly keeled near the apex, not cucullate; 1.5–3.5(–4) mm; base sub-clasping and often appearing narrower than the limb to somewhat broader and elliptic; margins flat to weakly and broadly undulate, erect or broadly incurved near the apex; apex typically obtuse to broadly or occasionally narrowly acute, usually stoutly mucronate; costa short-excurrent, adaxial surface papillose, adaxial epidermal cells typically quadrate to short-rectangular and similar to the laminal cells throughout, sometimes smooth and narrowly elongate cells (8:1) toward the apex due to exposure of the stereid band or, in the extreme apex, exposure of the guide cells; in cross section adaxial epidermis present, often interrupted in the extreme distal portion of the leaf, proximal laminal cells yellow-hyaline, elongate, laxly thin-walled, gradually distally papillose, marginal basal cells longer and larger than median cells, occasionally approximating a band of differentiated cells; proximal cells interior to the marginal gradually differentiated from the distal laminal cells; distal laminal cells small, typically 6–7(–9) µm wide. Specialized asexual reproduction none. Sexual condition autoicous; perigonia small, distinctive, stalked, flattened, usually single, rarely geminate, frequently yellow or orange, foliose buds of 2–6 leaves in axils of the distal leaves alongside and proximal to the perichaetium; inner perichaetial leaves little differentiated from stem leaves. Seta about (0.5–)0.7–1.7 cm; one per perichaetium, but often three to four per plant from different branches. Capsule 1.5–3 mm; annulus deciduous in fragments; operculum 1.2–1.5 mm; peristome teeth, to over 1 mm, spirally wound 2 or 3 times.
