Plants: often appearing feathery, dark green and glossy, or occasionally yellowish or brown with age. Stems: to 6+ cm, occasionally branched, often grooved proximally; rhizoids dark rust red, papillose. Leaves: (5–)6–8 × 0.4–0.8 mm; apex often ending in one double tooth; laminal cells uniformly subquadrate to short-rectangular, (7–)10–14 µm; marginal basal cells quadrate to rectangular, 14–30 × 10 µm. Seta: pale yellowish orange or stramineous, 4–6 cm. Capsule: (1.5–)2–3 mm, neck short; operculum 1.5–2 mm; exostome teeth reddish orange basally, pale yellow or hyaline distally; endostome segments pale yellow or hyaline, lightly papillose. Calyptra: 3.5 mm. Spores: 16–18 µm. Phenology: Capsules mature Dec–Apr.
Forests, base of tree trunks, logs, soil. low elevations. Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia. Discussion.