Plants: 0.4–1.4 cm. Stem: leaves stiff, loosely erect-appressed when dry, narrowly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 1.4–2.9 mm; margins strongly revolute to just before apex, entire; apex obtuse to bluntly acute, not incurved when dry; basal laminal cells subquadrate to short-rectangular, walls thin, not nodose; distal cells 8–10 µm, 1-stratose, lumina irregular due to uneven wall thickenings, papillae 1–2 per cell, conic, low. : Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Sexual: condition gonioautoicous. Vaginula: with hairs absent. Seta: to 1 mm. Capsule: emergent, oblong to ovate, 1–1.5 mm, 8-ribbed almost to base, ribs thin, delicate, not constricted below mouth; stomata immersed, mid capsule, 1/2 to completely covered by subsidiary cells, cells projecting vertically over stomata, inner walls thickened; peristome double; prostome absent; exostome teeth 8, splitting to 16 with age, reflexed, finely and densely papillose; endostome often absent, or segments 8, well developed, of 1 row of cells, smooth. Calyptra: oblong, smooth, naked or slightly hairy, hairs smooth. Spores: 15–19 µm.

Deciduous trees in mesic hardwood forests, along streams. low to moderate elevations (100-1000 m). N.B., N.S., Ont., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va.

Orthotrichum ohioense is distinguished by the 16 exostome teeth, eight rudimentary endostome segments, slightly 8-ribbed ovate capsules, leaves that are lanceolate and bluntly acute at the apices, and laminal cells smaller than 10 µm.