Stems 2-10 cm. Stem leaves0.5-1.3 × 0.4-0.9 mm. Branch leaves not or slightly plicate, 0.2-1.1 × 0.2-0.5(-0.6) mm.

Soil in forests, rock, decaying logs and stumps, tree bases, shady rock vertical surfaces, wet slopes of forested ravines, open ground in xeric steppe areas, among other mosses in tundra, granite, limestone; low to high elevations (0-3200 m); Greenland; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon; Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.; Mexico; Central America; Eurasia; n, e Africa.

Sporophytes of var. pulchellum are rare, confined probably to forest environments. There are no collections from a few states and provinces, but var. pulchellum apparently occurs throughout the flora area with the only exception probably being Florida; it appears to be rare in Georgia.