Plants to 2 cm. Stem leaves irregularly-twisted or curved, loosely spiraled around stem and ± undulate when dry, spreading to wide-spreading, sometimes subsquarrose, recurved when moist, oblong-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, leaves 0.7--2 mm, sharply acute, usually with a 1 to many-celled apiculus, decurrent; margins entire to ± sharply serrulate near apex; costa slender, ending near apex; distal laminal cells 5--11 µm wide with 3--6 clavate papillae, somewhat thick-walled; basal laminal cells short-rectangular; gemmae clavate to elliptic. Sexual condition synoicous or autoicous. Spores 17--22 µm.

Trunks of trees; low elevations; B.C.; Alaska; Mexico; West Indies; Central America (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama); South America; Asia; Africa; Pacific Islands; Australia.

Identifying characteristics of this species include (1) leaves entire or ± serrulate at apex; (2) synoicous or autoicous; and (3) back of costa smooth, not covered with papillose, quadrate cells in distal 1/2 of leaf. The serrulation of the distal leaf margins is highly variable, with some specimens having sharply serrulate margins (in the past placed in var. reinwardtii), while others have entire margins or margins with one or two small teeth (placed in var. subintegrifolius). I doubt the value of taxonomically distinguishing thes plants.