Leaves concave.

Capsules mature spring-early summer. Moist calcareous rock ledges, faces, crevices, in depressions, edges of streams, humus, seepage areas of talus slopes, ice wedge polygons, hummocks, dung, alpine and arctic tundra; low to high elevations (0-3900 m); Greenland; Alta., B.C., Man., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Yukon; Alaska, Colo., Mont.; n, c Europe; n Asia (Russia); Atlantic Islands (Iceland).

Variety chryseum is characterized by robust stems 3 mm wide and over 4 cm long, and distinctly golden, plicate leaves with short-acuminate points. This variety is by far the most common Orthothecium in North America. Sporophytes are rarely produced.