The small to medium sized plants form yellow-green to reddish brown, flat, loose mats. Stem 20-40 mm long, slender, creeping, prostrate and irregularly pinnate to occasionally bipinnately branching; central strand present. Paraphyllia (small leaf-like scales found on stems or branches) are few to occasionally absent, abundant on youngest parts, simple to weakly branched, 4-8 cells long, 1-2 cells broad at base; cells isodiametrical, oblong, quadrate or rectangular and smooth, upper cells longer, apical cell acute.

Stem leaves and branch leaves are uniform to weakly dimorphic (of two forms), slightly asymmetrical, plane to moderately bi-plicate (folded in two longitudinal pleats) and ornamented on both surfaces.

Stem leaves up to 1.5 mm long including point, and about 0.5mm wide, triangular, broadly ovate or cordate, closely or remotely set and julaceous (smoothly cylindrical, like a catkin). When dry the leaves are incurved, appressed with apex slightly bent away from stem.

When wet they are erect, patent spreading with straight or curved apex. Apex 0.5-0.8 mm long, often abruptly or gradually tapering to a short to long acumen or awn, straight to often recurved or reflexed. Costa (midrib of a leaf) strong, narrow, ends in or above apex, prominent and rough on the back, cells rectangular to linear, smooth to weakly prorulate (very finely papillose). Margins smooth to serrulate (minutely saw-toothed) or lightly denticulate (finely sharply toothed), plane to recurved below. Laminal cells (cells of the upper portion of the leaf) up to 20 µm long, occasionally of more or less the same size and shape except the cells at insertion, oblong, oval to rectangular and unipapillose-prorate (papillose with single papilla per cell). Apical cell acute, elongated, usually hyaline (colourless and transparent) and smooth. Upper cells longer, linear, fusiform (spindle-shaped), sometimes flexuose (twisted) to oval-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, weakly prorate to smooth, papillae low. Median cells (in middle portion of leaf) weakly flexuose, short and mostly isodiametric (about as long as broad), rectangular, irregularly quadrate, or oblong, prorate to smooth, or occasionally with papillae scattered over lumen (the cell cavity). Basal cells smaller, quadrate or rounded to rectangular, and weakly prorate to smooth. Alar cells (cells at basal margin of a leaf) weakly or not differentiated, smaller, compacted, quadrate-rectangular and oblate (wider than long). Cells at the leaf insertion longer, broader and rectangular.

Branch leaves smaller, 0.3-0.55 mm long, about 0.3 mm wide, ovate to short lanceolate. Apex acuminate, often lacks subula. Costa ends in or above apex, cells rectangular to linear and smooth or prorulate. Margins are smooth to serrulate, plane to recurved below. Upper laminal cells sometimes longer than mid-laminal cells, both oval-elliptic, prorulate or smooth. Basal cells quadrate to rounded, prorate to smooth, papillae often more prominent than in upper cells. Alar cells differentiated, compacted, oblate, quadrate-rectangular, arranged into three to six rows.

Branch leaves smaller, 0.3-0.55 mm long, about 0.3 mm wide, ovate to short lanceolate. Apex acuminate, often lacks subula. Costa ends in or above apex, cells rectangular to linear and smooth or prorulate. Margins are smooth to serrulate, plane to recurved below. Upper laminal cells sometimes longer than mid-laminal cells, both oval-elliptic, prorulate or smooth. Basal cells quadrate to rounded, prorate to smooth, papillae often more prominent than in upper cells. Alar cells differentiated, compacted, oblate, quadrate-rectangular, arranged into three to six rows.

The plant is a utoicous (female and male sexual parts in separate inflorescences on the same plant). Perigonia (male inflorescences) in small open buds on main stem or on short branches, ovate apiculate (abruptly short-pointed). Perichaetia (female inflorescences) sideways on main stem; inner leaves up to 2.2 mm long, oblong- or lanceolate-subulate, -convolute or -mucronate, abruptly apiculate; margins smooth to serrulate, eciliate (without hairy appendages); cells linear, flexuose above and larger below, smooth to weakly papillose; costa ends above apex in a long hair-point. Seta (stalk supporting the capsule) elongate, 10-18 mm long, red-brown below and yellowish above, twisted, glossy and smooth. Capsule 1.2-2 mm long, inclined to horizontal, curved, strongly asymmetric, high-backed, contracted below mouth, yellowish to orange and smooth. Exothecial cells (outermost layer of the capsule wall) irregularly angular or subquadrate-hexagonal, thin walled and stomata absent. Peristome (circular structure in mouth of capsule) perfect with insertion below the mouth; exostome teeth (outer part of circular structure in mouth of capsule) are yellow, yellow-red or yellow-brown, closely cross-striate (having cross bars) below, bordered, papillose and almost hyaline distally. Operculum (lid covering the mouth of the capsule) shortly conical to short-rostrate (with a short beak), convex-pointed and oblique. Calyptra (membranous hood covering the developing moss plant) cucullate (hood-shaped) and often closing below capsule when young, smooth and reddish brown at tip, becoming lighter to white below. Sporophytes (the spore-bearing moss plants) abundant and found throughout the year. Spores spherical, yellowish brown and slightly roughened.