Plants tiny or small, olive-green. Leaves linear from broad base, slenderly subulate from oblong base, narrowly acute; costa ending in apex, filling subula; margins entire; leaf cells (1--)3:1; perichaetial leaves somewhat larger, similar to vegetative leaves, not much differentiated. Seta 2--3 mm, curved to cygneous. Capsule ovate-oblong to ovate-cylindric, longer than broad, narrower at mouth, peristome of 16 well-developed teeth; columella immersed. Spores 8--10 µm.

Calcareous substrates; B.C., N.B., Nfld., Ont., Que.; Mich., MO., N.J., N.Y., Tenn., Wash.; Europe; Asia.

This species is disjunct in Washington and southern British Columbia in western North America to Newfoundland south to Tennessee and west to Michigan in the East. This species is distinguished by the combination of cyneous seta, oblong rather narrow capsules, and subulate leaves with the costa filling the apex. Seligeria campylopoda has similar sporophytic features, but has broader leaves with the costa ending in, but not filling, the apex. The spores of both these species are small.