Plants: medium-sized to large, in thick mats, green, yellow-green, or orange-green. Stems: with branches robust, julaceous, apices usually curving up; central strand present; paraphyllia many, filamentous to foliose, branched. Leaves: appressed to somewhat erect when dry, erect-spreading when moist, glossy or dull, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, asymmetric, usually falcate to falcate-secund, 0.6–2(–2.4) mm; margins narrowly recurved to mid leaf or to near acumen; apex abruptly acute to short- or long-acuminate, hair-point absent; costa subpercurrent to percurrent, yellow-green, sometimes sinuate; alar cells transversely elongate to quadrate, region small to medium-sized; medial laminal cells homogeneous, short-rhomboidal, elliptic, or fusiform, to 40 µm, 2–3(–4):1, pellucid to opaque, prorate to near base, lumina larger than 10 µm, walls thin or rarely firm, not pitted; apical cells 2–3:1; juxtacostal cells somewhat shorter than more distal cells, walls not pitted. Capsule: erect to suberect, symmetric, 1–2 mm; endostome basal membrane 1/4–1/3 exostome length, segments shorter than exostome, cilia usually present, 1 or 2, sometimes reduced. Spores: 16–22 µm. North America, Eurasia, Atlantic Islands (Iceland).

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora). Pseudoleskea radicosa is a common and variable species found at moderate to high elevations; the capsules mature in summer. Two of the three varieties are quite distinctive. Pseudoleskea radicosa is closely related to P. incurvata but differs in the longer, more homogeneous, thin-walled, and wider laminal cells. Combined ecological, molecular and morphological studies of the varieties are needed to determine their distinctiveness.

Plants: large, yellow-green, green, or orange-green. Stems: with apices hooked, branches few or absent. Leaves: not incurved, strongly falcate-secund, weakly concave, pluriplicate, 1.6–2.3 mm; apex long-acuminate; medial laminal cells opaque. Phenology: Capsules mature Jul–Aug.

Mesic soil under shrubs or on boulders, associated with snow banks, subalpine-alpine. moderate to high elevations (900-3000 m). Greenland, Alta., B.C., Alaska, Mont., Wash., Wyo., w Eurasia, Atlantic Islands (Iceland).

Variety denudata is distinguished by the large size, long unbranched stems with hooked apices, strongly falcate-secund leaves, and often pluriplicate lamina. The alar cells are often prorate; capsules are very rare.

Plants: medium-sized, yellow-green, green, or orange-green. Stems: with apices not distinctly hooked, branches many. Leaves: not incurved, appressed to somewhat falcate, weakly to moderately concave, 2-plicate, 1.2–1.7 mm; apex short- to usually long-acuminate; medial laminal cells opaque. Phenology: Capsules mature Jul–Aug.

Shaded rock, outcrops, tree bases, humic soil in forests, subalpine to alpine. moderate to high elevations (600-3500 m). Greenland, Alta., B.C., Nfld. and Labr., Que., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mich., Mont., Nev., N.H., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo., Eurasia, Atlantic Islands (Iceland). Discussion.