Plants: in dense tufts, glaucous or brownish green. Stems: 0.5–3 cm. Leaves: erect to erect-spreading and somewhat flexuose when dry, spreading when moist, narrowly lanceolate, 2–5 mm; base sheathing, shoulders well developed, firm, not eroded; margins strongly revolute, serrulate distally, teeth paired; apex subulate, usually intact; costa excurrent, prominent in distal limb, distal abaxial surface rough; basal laminal cell walls thick toward costa, thin toward margins; distal cells 8–25 × 4–8 µm, prorulae high. Sexual: condition synoicous or dioicous. Seta: 0.6–1.6 cm, straight to slightly arcuate. Capsule: inclined, globose to ovoid, asymmetric, 1.5–2.5 mm; operculum short-convex; peristome single or double; exostome teeth 200–350 µm, finely papillose proximally, vertically striate distally; endostome absent or, if present, basal membrane rudimentary, segments sometimes present, less than 1/3 length of teeth, finely papillose, cilia absent. Spores: 25–35(–40) µm. Phenology: Capsules mature Nov.
Rock crevices, canyon ledges. high elevations (1800-4000 m). Ariz., N.Mex., Mexico, West Indies (Dominican Republic), Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala), South America (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela).