Plants in robust, dark green to blackish green, loose, hoary, readily disintegrating tufts. Stems 1--5 cm, central strand present. Stem leaves loosely appressed to slightly twisted when dry, erectopatent when moist, broadly-lanceolate, tapering to acute apex, 2--2.5 × 0.5--0.7 mm, keeled, margin broadly recurved on one side, awns short to long, usually terete and weakly denticulate, costa weak at base, channeled distally, projecting on dorsal side; distal laminal cells 2-stratose, margins multistratose, areolation very opaque with rounded thick-walled, frequently slightly papillose cells; medial laminal cells quadrate more or less sinuose, thick-walled; basal juxtacostal laminal cells long-rectangular, slightly sinuose, thick-walled; basal marginal laminal cells rectangular, transverse walls thin. Gemmae absent. Sexual condition dioicous. Seta arcuate, 2--3 mm. Capsule occasionally present, emergent to exserted, brown, obloid, striate, exothecial cells thin-walled, annulus present, operculum rostrate, peristome teeth purple, deeply split, papillose. Calyptra mitrate.

Exposed, dry acidic rock; 500--4500 m; Alta., B.C., Yukon; Calif., Colo., Mont., N.J., Wyo.; Eurasia; Africa.

The rather robust Grimmia elatior was described by Kindberg as Grimmia grandis. The species is fairly common in the Canadian Rockies and in the western United States. It is predominantly bound to the Rocky Mountain area in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. In eastern North America it is known only from a site in New Jersey. Grimmia elatior can be recognized easily by its robust habit, usually growing in dark-green, extended patches on various types of acidic rock, like gneiss, granite, sandstone and serpentine. It resembles G. decipiens, and both species are of the same size. However, G. decipiens has both leaf margins recurved and strongly denticulate awns which are flattened proximally; in G. elatior there is only one recurved leaf margin and the awns are shorter, terete and weakly denticulate. The length of the awn in G. elatior is very variable; plants with nearly muticous leaves and plants with very long awns may be found growing close together. There is also some resemblance to G. pilifera, widespread in Asia and eastern North America. The latter species, however, has immersed capsules, straight walled distal cells, and the basal marginal cells are quadrate with thickened transverse walls.