Plants small. Stems 1--6 cm. Leaves stiffly erect, plane. Capsule 1--2 mm.

Capsules mature June --Aug. Seepage slopes and along creeks, often over clay or silt, sometimes intermixed with other bryophytes; 0--3250 m.; Alta., B.C., Man., N.S., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Yukon; Alaska, Calif., Colo., Minn., Mont., Oreg., Tenn., Wash., Wyo.; c and n Europe; c and sw Asia; Atlantic Islands (Iceland).

This diminutive variety typically grows in dense mats or sods, the stems tightly interlaced with tomentum. The stiffly erect leaves that are neither catenulate nor spiraled aid in its identification. The range is Arctic-alpine. This variety is a characteristic member of the bog community throughout the Arctic tundra and taiga.