Stem erect, 6–25 cm long, simple, brown; leafy part of stem 3–15 cm long. Leaves erect-spreading when moist, usually appressed when dry. Sheath 2.5–3 mm long, 2–2.5 mm wide, abruptly or gradually narrowed into lamina; cells linear, 120–150 μm long, 8–11 μm wide, smooth. Lamina 9–18 (–22) mm long, 0.75–1 mm wide, spirally twisted or plane, covered by lamellae (4–) 5–8 (–9) cells high over entire adaxial surface except marginal 1–3 (–4) rows of cells, obscuring underlying excurrent costa; lamellae cells hexagonal, smooth; apex acuminate or acute, with a sharply serrate arista; marginal cells rectangular, 20–50 μm long, 8–12 μm wide, smooth; margins serrate, inrolled. Seta 1–3.5 cm long, smooth or minutely ribbed. Capsule erect, becoming inclined to horizontal, ovoid, straight, 6–11 mm long. Calyptra covering only upper half of capsule, not barbed.
VRiv, OtP, CVU, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, HFE. Wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest in the Otways, Yarra Ranges through to the western slope of the Baw Baw Plateau, Wilsons Promontory and East Gippsland. Also QLD, NSW and Tas. Possibly Malesia.
