Orthomnion novae-zealandiae

Synoicous. Mats or loose tufts on rocks. Sterile stems stoloniferous, prostrate, 2–8 cm long, pale brown to green, covered with red-brown rhizoids ventrally. Fertile stems erect, to c. 30 mm long, pale brown to green. Leaves on stoloniferous stems complanate, ±distichous, strongly contorted when dry, mostly elliptic, c. 3–4 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, undulate; costae percurrent; margins entire to weakly toothed, undulate, with 3–4 rows of more elongate cells forming a border; cells c. 30 μm long, 15–30 μm wide. Leaves on erect stems spreading, strongly contorted when dry, elliptic to obovate, 5–7 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, undulate; apex rounded to mucronate, usually short-apiculate; costa subpercurrent; margins with single short blunt teeth in apical half or nearly entire, undulate, with 3–4 rows of more elongate cells forming a border; laminal cells rounded-hexagonal, 30–60 μm long, 21–35 μm wide, larger and more elongate near costa and base. Setae 20–40 mm long, yellow- or pale red-brown, smooth. Capsules inclined to pendulous, broadly ovoid or obovoid, 3–4 mm long. Opercula curved-rostrate from conic base, c. 1.5–2 mm long.