Plants: medium-sized, yellowish green to brown. Stems: 5 cm, creeping to erect, julaceous, densely to loosely pinnate. Leaves: straight to weakly falcate, ovate or widely oblong, abruptly narrowed to apex; margins subentire; laminal cells 40–50 × 5–6 µm. Branch: leaves 1–1.4 × 0.2–0.4 mm or slightly smaller. Phenology: Capsule maturity unknown.
Horizontal surfaces, strongly illuminated sites, especially in mountains and at higher latitudes. low to high elevations (100-2500 m). N.W.T., Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Europe, Indian Ocean Islands (Kerguelen Islands).
Variety julaceum sometimes has asymmetric stems. The branches are 0.2–1.5 cm; the leaves are concave.