Leaves with margins recurved to erect and whitish distally, undifferentiated proximally. Seta 5-8 mm. Capsule urn short-cylindric, 1-2.1 mm; operculum 0.6-1.1 mm; peristome short, nearly straight, cribrose, 198-520 µm.

Capsule mature May-Aug(-Dec). Banks, sandy soil or rocks along dry washes; 1000-1500 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Nev., Utah; Mexico (Baja California); Europe; Asia; n Africa; Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands).

M. J. Cano et al. (1993) did not recognize var. pottioideum as a distinct taxon. However, the character states given in the key offer good reasons to retain it, despite some intergradation with var. squamiferum.