Plants 3-7 cm. Perichaetial inner leaves with base sheathing, margins entire, apex gradually to abruptly subulate, ecostate, basal laminal cells rectangular, distal medial and apical cells linear.

Capsules mature May-Nov. Base of trees, roots, rotten logs, shaded boulders, shady banks, limestone cliffs, soil; low to moderate elevations (150-1000 m); B.C., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Ont., Que.; Ariz., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.Y., N.C., Pa., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., Wis.; Mexico (Jalisco); Europe; Asia (China, India, Japan, Korea).

Variety trichomanoides has a wide distribution and can be distinguished from var. japonica (Bescherelle) S. He by sexual condition, which is dioicous in the latter. Also, plants of var. trichomanoides are larger than those of var. japonica and tend to produce less attenuated branch apices or flagelliform branches.