Plants in dense, yellow green to reddish brown tufts. Stems 3--5 cm, ascending to erect. Leaves erect, imbricate when dry, spreading when moist, narrowly lanceolate from an ovate base, 2.5--4.5 mm, plicate along both sides, straight to slightly falcate, margins revolute above (sometimes almost to base), singly or doubly serrate above; lamina 1(--2)-stratose along distal margins; costa percurrent to long-excurrent; distal laminal cells rectangular to oblong, to 25 × 4--10 µm, smooth or prorulose at distal or proximal end; basal cells shorter and wider, mostly smooth. Seta 5--12 mm. Capsule erect to inclined, globose to ovoid or short-cylindric, 2--2.8 mm, fragile and often split, mouth small, exothecial cells quadrate, intensely colored below mouth; operculum conic obtuse; peristome mostly lacking, variously developed when present and usually broken, occasionally as a low thin membrane below mouth. Spores 18--32 µm.

Capsules mature Feb.--Aug.; rocks, ledges and ravines, often in shady canyons, occasionally soil; 500--2200 m; B.C.; Alaska, Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., nw Wyo.; Mexico (Baja Califorinia Norte).

The less prorulose leaf cells and lack of sharp distinction between inner and outer basal cells of the leaf aid in distinguishing this species from A. laevisphaera. Anacolia menziesii var. baueri, is moderately distinct from the type variety by virtue of more elongate capsules but is not recognized here.