Dioicous. Dense tufts on soil or rock, pale bright silky green, 10–20 mm tall. Stems branching by innovation, brown, tomentose. Leaves imbricate, erect when moist, scarcely or slightly twisted when dry, uppermost leaves in comal tuft, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, concave; apex acuminate; costa usually excurrent as an arista; arista entire; laminal cells in apical half narrowly hexagonal to rhomboidal, 50–70 μm long, 10–12 μm wide; basal laminal cells rectangular; alar cells swollen pinkish. Seta 10–20 mm long. Capsule cernuous or pendulous, oblong-pyriform or clavate, 2–2.5 mm long. Peristome well developed, with basal membrane half the height of exostome; cilia 2, long-appendiculate. Operculum convex, slightly apiculate.
MuM, Wim, GleP, GipP, Gold, GGr, VAlp. Throughout the state in wide variety of habitats including woodland, lake edges, roadsides, subalpine woodland and coastal vegetation. Also WA, NT, SA, NSW, ACT or Tas.
