Plants: 3–6(–12) cm. Stems: dark brown. Leaves: green, yellowish green, or reddish brown, strongly reflexed to arcuate-recurved when moist forming bowl-like or cylindric pockets, orbicular, broadly obovate, or spatulate, 2–3 mm; base short-decurrent; margins recurved, 1-stratose; apex rounded or obtuse, apiculate or cuspidate, apiculus sharp, cusp lightly toothed; costa percurrent or excurrent; medial laminal cells elongate or short-elongate, (50–)60–90(–110) µm, in diagonal rows, not or weakly collenchymatous; marginal cells linear or short-linear, in 2–4 rows. Sexual: condition dioicous. Seta: red or reddish brown, 1.5–4 cm. Capsule: yellowish green or light green, elliptic, 2–3 mm. Spores: 25–50 µm. Phenology: Capsules mature summer.
Wet tundra soil in rich fens and marshes, often calcareous. low to moderate elevations. Greenland, B.C., Man., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Yukon, Alaska, Europe.
Its strongly reflexed to arcuate-recurved leaf margins make Cinclidium latifolium one of the most distinctive mosses in the northern region.