Plants medium-sized to large, green to golden green, very glossy. Stems 0.5-2.5 cm. Leaves wide-spreading, narrowly long-lanceolate, 2-3.5 mm; ; margins serrate in distal 1/3; costa sub-percurrent; distal medial laminal cells linear-hexagonal, 80-160µm, walls thin. Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Sexual condition dioicous; perigonia usually on short lateral branches, leaves ; perichaetial leaves ± strongly differentiated, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate. Seta orange-brown. Capsule inclined ± 180°, brown to stramineous, short-pyriform to urceolate, neck less than 1/3 urn length; exothecial cells isodiametric, walls straight to sinuate; stomata immersed; annulus absent; operculum short- to long-conic; exostome teeth light yellow-brown, triangular-acute; endostome hyaline, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length or slightly longer, segments , distinctly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia long, nodulose, or short. Spores 14-20 µm, finely roughened.

Capsules mature spring (May-Jul). Disturbed soil, soil on upturned tree bases, path banks, rock crevices, along streams; low elevations; B.C.; Alaska, Calif., Oreg., Wash.

Sterile plants of Pohlia longibracteata are easily identified by the relatively long, narrow, wide-spreading leaves that are quite glossy. The leaf apices are narrowly acute; the perigonial leaves are very long-acuminate and spreading from the ovate base (providing the basis for the specific epithet). Pohlia longibracteata occurs on soil in Pacific coastal forests, typically under redwood trees.