Stem to 7 cm, densely pinnate-branched, rarely loosely branched; leafy stems complanate, with secund leaves, hypnaceous in appearance. Stem leaves well-differentiated; dorsal leaves strongly falcate, narrowly lanceolate, gradually narrowed to a slender and long apex, subcordate at base, plicate, 2.7--2.9  0.60--0.75 mm; margins markedly recurved both at base of apex and below, irregularly serrulate above, subentire proximally; costae double and parallel, 1/4--1/3 the leaf length; median laminal cells linear, weakly flexuose, lumen 60--80  2--3 µm, thick-walled, porose, smooth; alar cells well-differentiated, 6--8 in marginal row, 8--10 in transverse row; ventral leaves flat at apices. Branch leaves narrower, 1.6--2.0  0.35--0.45 mm. Interior perichaetial leaves slightly reflexed at apices; costae double or indistinct; laminal cells thick-walled. [Seta 2.5--3.0 cm. Capsule horizontal, cylindric, weakly arched, 2.2--2.8 mm exclusive of the operculum, 0.9--1.2 mm wide; exothecial cells subquadrate, rarely polygonal, 17--48  17--27 µm, thick-walled. Spores 18--22 µm.]

Capsules mature in fall. Boreal forest zone to arctic tundra, mostly growing on wet or moist rocks, often calcareous; 710--4730 m; B.C., Yukon; Alaska; Asia (China, Japan, Nepal, Russia).

Known from 10 or fewer localities from North America and sporophytes not known from North America. Gollania turgens exhibits the North Pacific (East Asia-western North American) distribution, though the range of the East Asian population extends more southward than usual. The range of this species is roughly overlapped by that of Takakia.

Gollania turgens is much like Hypnum species in appearance, especially because of having densely pinnate-branching and falcate leaves, but it is distinguished by its long and parallel costae, markedly recurved and serrulate leaf margins of stem leaves, thick-walled and porose laminal cells of stem leaves, and well-differentiated alar cells.