Dioicous. Asexual reproduction by red rhizoidal tubers. Loose or dense tufts on rocks or soil over rocks, yellowish green to yellowish brown, often tinged red and glossy. Stems branching by innovation, 5–15 mm long. Rhizoids red to red-brown. Leaves erect or suberect when moist and dry, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm long, somewhat concave; apex acute to acuminate; costa strong, long-excurrent as a hairpoint; hairpoint golden-yellow; margin entire or finely serrulate toward apex, plane or revolute in basal half, without a border; laminal cells in apical half rhomboidal, mostly 40–60 μm long, 10–15 μm wide; basal laminal cells short-rectangular, becoming quadrate toward margin. Seta 15–40 mm long, purple-red. Capsule cernuous or pendulous, clavate, 2–3 mm long, brown or reddish. Operculum convex, apiculate.
Widespread along and south of the Great Dividing Range in rocky creeks, riparian forest and alpine bogs. All states and territories. New Zealand, New Caledonia and Fiji.
