Plants to 1.6 cm. Stem leaves loosely-twisted and crisped-flexuose when dry, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1.6--3.2 mm, sharply acute; margins recurved to near apex, entire; distal laminal cells 8--14 µm wide, 1-stratose, with small, conical papillae; basal laminal cells rectangular, non-nodose. Sexual condition goniautoicous. Seta (0.8--)1--3(--3.5) mm. Capsule exserted or sometimes 1/2 emergent; urn oblong-cylindric 0.9--2.1 mm, strongly 8-ribbed entire length, stomates immersed in middle and distal portion of capsule, 1/2 to completely covered by strongly differentiated subsidiary cells; peristome double; endostome segments 16, of 1 row of cells, finely roughened; exostome teeth 16, rarely united into 8 pairs, erect when mature, later reflexed, densely papillose. Calyptra oblong-conic to conic, naked. Spores 12--24 µm.

Tree trunks, branches, and twigs of deciduous and coniferous trees; 0--1000 m: B.C.; Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Oreg., Wash. Restricted to western North America.

Distinguished from all species of Ulota by the glabrous calyptra and immersed stomates, and from O. consimile by the 16, reddish exostome teeth that are papillose-reticulate with slender, high papillae, and by the stomates that are always located at or beyond the middle of the capsule. Also, O. pulchellum has plants that are rarely longer than 1 cm and the capsules are usually just barely exserted and oblong-cylindric.