Plants 7–15 cm high, green to yellowish green or yellowish brown, in loose or extensive, compact cushions. Stem cortex in 3–5 layers, hyaline cells large and thin-walled, with fibrils and pores; central cylinder yellowish brown. Stem leaves 1.0–1.8 mm × 0.8–1.0 mm, short, broadly ligulate, slightly narrowed at base, flat in the upper part, lacerate at the rounded apex; hyaline cells generally divided, without fibrils, or rarely with indistinct fibrils. Branches in fascicles of 4–5, with 2 spreading. Branch leaves 1.5–2.5 mm long, imbricate, concave, broadly ovate to rounded ovate, cucullate-concave near the apex, hyaline and slightly dentate at the apex, marginal border indistinct; hyaline cells densely fibrillose, with numerous commissural pores on the dorsal surface, with pores at the upper cell angles becoming larger and fewer near the bases on the ventral surface, the inner walls adjacent to green cells often dense with fringe-fibrils; green cells in cross section isosceles-triangular, exposed on both surfaces, more broadly so on the ventral surface. Dioicous; antheridial branches reddish brown. Perigonial leaves large, ovate; perichaetia growing at base of capitulum branches. Spores yellowish brown, smooth.