Plants green to red-brown. Stems to 2(--6) cm, central strand present. Stem leaves spreading-twisted and weakly catenulate when dry, spreading and keeled when moist, monomorphic, long-lanceolate and often with a whiplike acumen, adaxially grooved along costa, 1--2.5 mm, base ovate and usually flaring at the insertion as small wings, margins broadly recurved to midleaf, entire, apex narrowly acute to long-acuminate, not fragile; costa short-excurrent in a conic mucro, tapering, pad of cells absent, adaxial costal cells elongate, 2--4 cells wide at midleaf, guide cells in 1 layer; basal laminal cells differentiated medially, rectangular, walls thin to thickened; distal laminal cells 7--10 µm wide, 1:1, papillae usually absent, lumens angular or subquadrate, walls irregularly thickened, convex on both sides, 1-stratose. Specialized asexual reproduction absent: possibly through axillary buds. Sexual condition sterile in range of flora. Sporophyte unknown. Distal laminal KOH reaction red.

Spray zone of falls, alpine tundra, damp cliff shelf; moderate elevations; B.C., N.W.T.; Alaska; Asia (China, India, Japan).

Differs from D. rigidulus var. ditrichoides by the short and broadly decurrent leaf margins (the former has long and narrowly decurrent margins). It is easily distinguished from Hymenostylium recurvirostrum, with which it commonly occurs by its usually olive or orange-brown tinge, as opposed to the green to yellow color of the former. One collection, N.W.T.: Scotter 22277 (BUF), has unusually long stems, to 6 cm.