Plants 3--10 mm. Stem leaves loosely erect-appressed and slightly incurved when dry, oblong-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 1.6--3 mm, narrowly obtuse, broadly acute to broadly apiculate; margins recurved to near apex, entire; distal laminal cells 9--14 µm wide, 1-stratose, with 2(3) low, conical papillae; basal laminal cells rectangular, non-nodose. Sexual condition cladautoicous. Seta 0.5--1.5 mm. Capsule emergent to barely exserted; urn oblong to oblong-cylindric, 1--2.5 mm, strongly 8-ribbed, becoming narrowly-cylindric and contracted along entire length when old; stomates immersed; peristome double; endostome segments 16, 1--2 rows of cells, smooth or finely papillose; exostome teeth 8, erect until old, then reflexed, evenly and densely papillose to papillae-striate. Calyptra conic-oblong, naked or sparsely hairy. Spores 10--20 µm.

Varieties 9 (3 in the flora): North America, Mexico, Europe.

Orthotrichum pallens is distinguished by having immersed stomates that are scarcely covered by thin-walled subsidiary cells. The peristome is double with a well-developed endostome of 16 (or 8) segments that remains intact until the capsule is quite old. Gametophytically, the species is distinguished by having narrowly obtuse, oblong-lanceolate leaves, and an autoicous sexual condition.

Lower Taxa

• Orthotrichum pallens var. crenulatum Vitt
• Orthotrichum pallens var. johnseniae Vitt
• Orthotrichum pallens var. pallens