Plants in dense turfs, to 25 mm high, almost unbranched, red-brown in younger portions but black in older portions. Stems dark red to black even in young material. Leaves, when dry, loosely appressed when dry, erect spreading from a somewhat sheathing base when moist. Leaves to 1.5 mm long, about 3: 1, lanceolate, acuminate to the blunt or acute apex, concave below. Median cells smooth throughout, not arranged in very regular rows, to 8 µm wide, isodiametric and rounded with strongly trigonous thickenings, incrassate with lumen/wall ratio about 1: 1. Marginal cells of leaf similar to the interior ones. Cells of median leaf base to 8 µm wide, with thick (lumen: wall ratio 1: 1) and pitted walls, 6–8: 1 with sinuose lateral walls. Costa excurrent in a subula which comprises up to 1/4 of leaf length, round in cross-section in subula but flattened and less conspicuous near base. Margins ascending and entire throughout, not at all decurrent. Stem nearly homogeneous, of thick-walled cells without a central strand. Axillary hairs to 40 µm long, 2-celled, not offset, one isodiametric and pale brown, the other elongate and clavate, very thick-walled with lumen wall ratio about 1: 1. Gemmae never present.
Plant autoicous, perigonia on separate branches quite distant from the perichaetia. Perichaetial leaves much larger and elliptic ovate with costa abruptly excurrent in a short mucro, to 1.2 mm long, loosely sheathing the base of the pseudopodium. Pseudopodia to 4 mm long, straight. Capsule dark brown except for a pale apex, elliptic, 2: 1, to 1.2 mm long before dehiscence, opening by four longitudinal slits. Median exothecial cells to 25 µm wide, 2–3: 1, with thick and pitted lateral walls but thin transverse walls. Exothecial cells along lines of eventual capsule dehiscence much more elongate and narrow in 1–2 irregular rows. Exothecial cells at capsule apex isodiametric and thick walled, somewhat smaller than median cells. Stomates absent. Spores to 50 µm, smooth, with trilete mark.
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