A widespread species of wet habitats. Plants small to medium sized, forming short dense tufts, pale to dark green or blackish. Stems erect to suberect, single or few branched, with terminal short fasciculate branches; rhizoids usually conspicuous, tomentose. Leaves somewhat distant to crowded, ovate- to oblong-lanceolate, apex acuminate, acute to obtuse; margins plane above, often recurved below, denticulate, bluntly to sharply serrate; costae single, strong, often toothed on back, subpercurrent to longexcurrent; upper and median cells oblong-linear to rhombic, stem leaves less papillose, basal cells somewhat to distinctly larger, rectangular and firm-walled. Setae elongate, smooth. Capsule suberect to inclined, urn subglobose.