Plants in tufts, yellowish brown to dark green, often shiny. Stems very variable in length, to 7 cm or more, simple or with relatively few branches; loosely compacted and then sparsely tomentose, or closely compact and rather densely tomentose. Leaves often ± falcate, slightly or not flexuose, subula of leaves often spirally twisted together, 4–7 mm, tapering ± gradually from an elongate ovate sheathing base to a long subula, lamina 1-stratose proximally, often 2-stratose distally in the subula; margins spinulose-denticulate in distal part of the subula or sometimes ± entire, often 2-stratose distally; costa occupying 1/4–1/3 width of leaf base, weakly abaxially convex, with poorly developed stereid bands abaxially and adaxially; cells of the subula and distal part of leaf base short, isodiametric to rhomboid to short rectangular, those of the leaf base becoming elongate, rectangular, with ± nodulose longitudinal walls, particularly near the costa, cells of the basal margins narrower. Specialized asexual reproduction unknown. Sexual condition dioicous; sporophytes rare; male plants slightly smaller than rarer female plants. Seta dark reddish brown, to 2.5 cm, ± flexuose. Capsule erect and symmetric to slightly inclined, dark brown, ± cylindric, 1.5–2 mm; operculum high-conic to conic-rostrate, to about 1 mm; peristome teeth about 400 µm, pale, 2-fid, divided to near base, densely papillose, fragile. Spores 12–15 µm, finely papillose.
